1 Peter 5:6-9 • Recognize, Resist, and Rest.
If you have a Bible, why don't you go ahead and open up to 1st Peter
Chapter 5 when I read our texts to us here this morning. It says humble yourselves therefore. Under the mighty hand of God should have the proper time. He may exalt you casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you be sober-minded Be watchful your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour Resist him firm in your faith knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your Brotherhood throughout the whole world. What about 8 months ago or so, we actually open up the letter of First Peter and we began to verse-by-verse head down that road of what does Peter have for us today and it's been 8 months and we're almost done hallelujah what we came to this passage on the devil and we kind of take a pause and we stopped to kind of focus on who is she Is he real what's the about because in today's society, we really see to extremes that exist today. And if you were here for that first Sunday, this is going to bring back to some a memory and Spurs some things you haven't been tracking with us. And that's definitely okay. I just want to share with you were coming from on this because many people are a very superstitious when it comes to their ideas their thoughts their theology on the devil and a superstitious the ology can lead us down some very horrible roads where the devil's under every Rock The Devil's under the leaking Tire in my driveway right now. He just had to be the one and the reason have to fill it up every 5 days or ice had to be him. And then people can tend to think that we need to do some Holy Water Circle some Bibles out of light some candles and do something about it. And that's superstitious. But there can also be in weight. We borrowed this word a view of the devil kind of this under thought that he's not really there that none of our problems could even possibly exist because there's some real personal evil that exist in the world today. And when we do that then we actually limit even the possibilities of him existing and how we approach some of our problems and what we've noted is that when we look at our problems from a Christian perspective our problems are not some lipstick and reductionary, but our problems are actually complex and big we don't just simply get to look at her anxiety and say it's just because of the economy. It's just because someone was in To me. We don't just get to look at our problems in our life and say he's just as a physical ailments, but we can look at us as a very holistic kind of person who doesn't recognize that horrible and bad things do happen to people. I mean ligaments tear when we're in Costa Rica. All right, the devil didn't put the soccer ball their man. That's not what happened and those things can take place and they can happen, but then what goes on Is a war after things happen in our lives and I would not say that he's never the cause of anything cuz if you read the gospels, there's a regulation of evil that happens to circle around Jesus in his Earthly Ministry. What tends to happen as we saw last week is the way the devil Works more often than not is through a what deceptive idea. A deceptive idea is God really good cuz of God was really good. You wouldn't have gotten hurt. You wouldn't have gotten divorced. You wouldn't have lost a child. You wouldn't have lost your job. You wouldn't have broken this if this God that we sing about is actually good and kind and gracious and loving and he comes to plant an idea in our head a deceptive idea about the good life. How we actually get it in a sentence? What happens then? There's disorder desires. disordered desires David wrote in the Psalms in in sin was I conceived a came out and I have four children. I didn't teach any of them the word of mine and they're pretty good at using that word. I didn't teach them how to snatch toys from one another and they're pretty good at making each other feel miserable at times by taking things from one another as she desires get this ordered as we've had these deceptive ideas and planted in us and then it becomes does normalize activity that takes play Steven in society today as Dallas Willard said he doesn't come With a sword with a bat with a gun. When we first see the devil on the scene, he comes with an idea is God good. What else does he do while he plays on what is already been inside of us? He tries to exploit us turn our anger into bitterness to turn our greeting into accusations against God and other people it begins to look inside the human heart and say there's a weakness there and I have a way in which I can exploit that to bring destruction and the harm and to have a ripple effect that goes out not just in and of ourselves, but even into the relationships are around you fragment us. Oh, he xploitz us and then he uses the very thing that he explains his with to accuse us. That's guilt we looked at Gilt last week? The good news is a Christian stupidly grass. This very well is Jesus Paid that price Jesus on that great exchange on the cross. He died and are placed. Our guilt has been there forgiven and we can actually reconcile that in our heads because we have Earthly examples of people who are found guilty of something they serve some kind of sentence or do their time or pay their fine and then they're set free and they're let go and that registers with us in here. Jesus Paid that but then but then what comes after guilt is Shame Shame brings identity issues. If you are a child of God, you would not have send that way. Oh Pastor Pratt, you would not have raise your voice at your children this week. That never would have happened. It wouldn't have happened when Ben Enoch the second glass off and broke it again, that would never take place that you would get. Angry. How dare you if you are a child if you are a servant of God.
And ashamed get Heap upon us and then that shamed Rises into isolation which brings anxiety depression and all sorts of other issues eye problems are complex problem. the United Physical ailments and sickness Division and strife, he wants to get in there and exploit and then often. Just like a one-hit thing that plagues us, but it's in fused together the what in the world are we to do are we defenseless now? I want to share three things with you guys and I hope to get through a whole sermon today. I have not done that yet. We need to recognize. resist and rest recognize resist and rest. How do I recognized? First of all, it's come to this conclusion that there is a devil. There's actually many Spiritual Beings. We looked at that in the first sermon that we gave on this and some are good we read about them often is like Michael and Gabriel and these cherubim and seraphim is heavenly host of sing the Praises of God, but there's also other Spiritual Beings that rebelled against God and the devil is real and they're real. Spiritual Beings are real and the begin the moment you began to follow Christ. You gain a lot more enemies. So we got to take the scripture serious and we need to understand the ways the devil works. You can just do a survey on my logosoftwear. I did this at the incredible software. So you won't have the same kind of access. We could probably Google it and get a lot of ideas some weird some good. What is the devil do attempts to takes away the word of God he wants to Blind us. Mr. Cues us to question God's goodness and wants to bring confusion lies disorder and chaos. That's what he wants to do. He wants to plant these deceptive ideas disorder desires that are than normalized. So when you see things like fighting and Division and disunity We need to take a step back and go. Some of this is on me. But is there a possibility that there's something deeper going on here? We need to recognize now in the Garden of Eden. When did Mukesh that serpent first came? And spoke with e o u will not die. If you eat of that fruit, you will be like Elohim. You will be like God you'll be like one of us and she grabs that fruit.
When she appears there before God what's her excuse the devil made me do it and just got to go a whole no big deal. I didn't realize that he was slithering his way into your life. No, he may be the wind in our sail that plants the idea that brings the opportunity, but she is held accountable for the wrong. She is held responsible for the wrong choice the wrong action that she has done and because of that we don't just get to Simply pass the buck and say he made me do this, but I also want to cause us bring a realization that the devil is real and exists and I need to understand that when there's these issues and wrong ideas and thoughts and Division and problem that maybe there's something more to that person's just a jerk. Maybe there's something deeper going on that's causing these problems with in my life by bad relationships the hurt the anxiety the depression the mess. Send The Pain all of that gets kind of mushed in together and a safe for just a moment. Maybe maybe there's something deeper going on here and if we can recognize it, what should we do? You have a Bible and you can flip quickly. Otherwise Britain will flash it up or going to go ahead and head over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 2. We're going to look at verse 11 here.
it says
So that we would not be outwitted by Satan. We are not ignorant of his designs.
Redeemers other believers do not be outwitted by him. keysmart What is predictable with said this a few times what's this in relationship to and what's this talking about? What in 1st Corinthians many people believe right around chapter 5 this is really awful scenario where there's a man in the church and he's actually doing something really horrible. And Paul write this letter and he says you need to put this man outside why for the purpose of restoring him, so he'll want to and crave to be back a part of this then 2nd Corinthians gets written. This man has been put out and many believe what chapter 2 is referring to is this scenario specifically in verse five. It says now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me but in some measure not to put it to severely to all of you for such a one this punishment by the majority is enough. So you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him or he may be overwhelmed by excess of Sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him for this is why I wrote that I might test you and know whether you are obedient and everything anyone who you forgive. I also forgive Indie, but I have forgiven if I forgiven anything has been for your sake and the presence of Christ. This context is incredible because what it's actually saying is when somebody hurts and somebody wrongs me. What I want to do is not just get even I want retaliation. That's what I want. In high school, I remember I didn't have a curfew my parents trusted me. I don't know why Mom and Dad you guys are crazy or has we we. Then toilet paper. A lot of houses typically friends so fun. It's so awesome. I live on a busy road. I have friends they drive by often and they have Sirens, so don't do it. All right still here, but I got to do a war with some friends and it was always one-upmanship. It was never just even and we had the night to end all night. So it was 7:00 Oregon pouring down rain Village on two and a half acres. We bought well over two hundred rolls after we already made a mess of our typical go to spot Food 4 Less in been kicked out of there. We were 16 and having the time of our lives fairly and we went out to this house and we begin she let the toilet paper get wet and we would just park it at the door and Hawk it at the house. I don't think they were there. Is there trees we took forks and put them in their yard and in their lawn and it just created this massive amount of chaos, and I ultimately got paid back involve paintballs and a lot of other things that wasn't pleasantonfun. That's another story for another time point in an innocent is story. Is this when you hurt me I really want to get even I want retaliation. I want to make it worse than what you first experienced. I want to cause more division more problems more isolation between the two of us. That's a human heart. That's a disordered desire. I'm going to make them pay it. Surely God can't do it quick enough. He can deal with that person. I should take this into my own hands What's Happening Here in 2nd Corinthians. Is this man? I've been put out and polishing you need to forgive him. You need to reconcile that is going against the work of the devil. This idea forgiveness and Reconciliation is Unity contract with Dish Unity what he brings it's whatever we sense this disunity in our relationships in our lives there ought to be every effort place to put a follower of Jesus to make some effort towards reconciliation and it's a very least forgiveness twitch provides the opportunity for reconciliation to happen one to forgive to to reconcile not everybody gets to reconcile, but I'll tell you something every believer in Jesus Christ is at odds with one another they should ought and better according to Paul's word reconcile their relationships because why He says do not be outwitted by Satan for we are not ignorant of his designs but I participate and unforgiveness and not designed to reconcile. I am participating in the works of Satan. I'm not saying he's somehow in me. I'm not saying somehow he's taking this body over I'm saying his ways to his system and his influence has gotten into my thinking and what I have to do it I Justified I write it off. They hurt me. Well, I can never trust them again. You're right. We may have some trust issues. You have to work towards that. What do we do? Participate in this very work only choose only participate and not forgiving at least not pursuing reconciliation. You I cannot make two people reconcile I get that. But you as a follower of Jesus can put every effort to forgive and to work towards reconciliation since God's powerful design. Satan wants to keep Division and got to sing Come Together. And when we don't we get a real good touch with our sin nature, don't we but original man who has not been transformed or change prices. You knowing Christ our pride of luring to us. Why would I forgive I'm too good for this. I don't need to respond to them. That's the works of the devil. Convincing deceiving telling me a line remaining unforgiving that's going to get me the good life that's going to get me what I really want. But all it does is but further division between us we fail to recognize the schemes of the devil. We're going to fall prey to what he does. We're going to participate in his works. the wind in our sails No, I'm not afraid that he's somehow manifesting himself and showing up. But this world has been incredibly influenced by the prince the power of this air by the God of this age. I need the ceiling and twisting and become so normal to society that we also because you know what everybody hold the garage. It's really okay to hold that crotch. countercultural Followers of Jesus we forgive we don't engage in the flash winter stand that reconciliation and not before we went to put forth every effort. We recognize to resist if you didn't have your Bible you can flip over to Ephesians. 427
since this will start now actually 26. I don't know if Britney can get that up there or not be angry and do not sin. I love that Paradox. How many of you were taught being angry is a sin. I've always considered anger as a sin. What do you do with Jesus when he's angry and overturns tables? What do you do with a god who's actually angered over the Injustice has that are happening today and we read about that in the Old Testament. God is mad. I certainly do not have a God that sins. So how do we handle that? What Paul? He's nailing it here. He says be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. And what did you say connection and give no opportunity to the devil. You can be angry that can be things that are done to your justices that happened. You can go that's not right. We can get angry over things are happening in culture and society today that go against the grain of God's word. There's a righteous anger that can exist and does exist that we even participate in on it. However, as human beings one of our Tendencies has to move swiftly from righteous anger. Was either unrighteous anger or bitterness and Paul since year one of the ways we combat that one of the ways we recognize that is to not let the sun go down on our anger and our premarital counseling that with a few different people to one of the best piece of advice give to me is do not sleep back-to-back angry with one another you settle it out. You may be tired the next day but you hammer it out and I understand there's some parameters around that and sometimes it's not always possible. But the advice that stuck with me was this idea that make every effort is what they were trying to say to not grow bitter. Cuz we can be angered when that turns to bitterness Satan begins to play on us like a piano and he's just doing the chopsticks on us and working us over. In this context of anger, which is so important. Example I gave earlier I break a glass in my home and I go Dumber. I'll clean it up. I'll deal with it, but my kids break glass. And it's not bummer. It's funny to me the town angry. Why did you do that? Why because I'm inconvenienced at that time. I get frustrated when I get mad. And she the problem with that is this anger can come out. If I let it stew and sit can turn to bitterness rather than dealing with it in the moment. This all goes back to the good life is not having things broken. The good life is having easy convenience the good life this and anything that gets in the way of the good life is going to frustrate me and turn my pool course off track and so the idea seep into my mind to exert Authority. That's how I get the good life back to be harsh. That's how I can get a good life back to gain control and that is not the way of Jesus. I'm going to see in the next couple of weeks. He gives away the kingdom. Gives it away enabling empowering people. It's amazing. It's incredible. So the devil wants to get in and wants to take her anger and he was a Twist us and work something in us. He wants to get a foothold in this whole idea is be angry, but sin not be aware of the ways of the devil. So he does not show up. Well, how do I do this? We resist we resist and I've got time. So we're going to rock through this 1st Peter 5 8 through 9. We are to watch to pray and the previous verse about humility. Also at this point you can turn over to Ephesians chapter 6. This is really important for us. We're going to read all of 10 through verse 17 or 18. Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic powers of the present Darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day having done all to stand firm stand there for having fastened on the belt of truth. How do you put on the breastplate of righteousness and a shoes for your feet having put on the Readiness given by the gospel of peace in all circumstances take up the shield of Faith which was which can extinguish all flaming darts of the evil one. The helmet of salvation the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to that in be alert with all perseverance making supplication for really good really important stuff. Do you think I'm going to church today? They're not something that we just kind of wake up and move through a checklist for the something that are all interconnected in that we have to be doing together. And it begins with this idea to resist the devil is not to believe the lies of the devil is to resist him in the truth and knowing that who God has called us and made us to be and it works out really simple when we feel shame when we feel guilty when we feel this accusation. If you were a child of God your life wouldn't look like this or that wouldn't happen. We combat it with the truth that God has told us we are his beloved. We are code joint heirs with Christ. There is an inheritance that he has brought us to be a part of the Bible speak these wonderful truths about you even knowing who you are even knowing who you were before Jesus Christ for while you were yet a sinner Christ died for you when you're rebelling fighting against angst towards God winter still in business God the Savior who knows as deeply in the sea. He died for us and loves and cares for us and he's brought us into his family. Wonderful. He already knew the issues. He already knew you came with the baggage and he says I died for you. I need to speak and allow for that truth to watch over me over and over again. Is the problem is as so many of us live according to our impulses and our feelings. Timer controlled by this Primal desire that's within us and I'll tell you what that desire is. So messed up. Greedy, it's selfish. It's about me. Can't be driven by every whim. Let's just order desires. Let me get a little bit of a taste for it. If you turn back to Ephesians. We're going to look right back at chapter 4 in Ephesians. And then we're 17 says now this I say and testifying the Lord you may no longer walk as the Gentiles do in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to their Hardness of Heart they become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality degree practice every kind of impurity, but that is not the way you learned Christ assuming that you've heard about him and we're taught in him as the truth is in Jesus to put off your old selves which belongs to your former matter of life and it's corrupt through deceitful Desires in to be renewed in the self created after the likeness of God and true righteousness and holiness. Your mind your mind. Since you've been changed, you've been transformed the guards yourself put on that truth belt. Do you know the speak the gospel? The problem with us is our minds have been so convoluted Peter told us that were to be sober-minded and watchful. Why will the devil your adversary seeking whom he may devour and Colossians 2:3 has the same idea of having the mind of Christ starts in Ephesians 2 3 ending Colossians 1:21. The mine was hostile towards God is the wording your mind your thoughts towards God before being saved follower of Jesus were at odds with God. And we need to be renewed transformed and changed Romans 8:5 set your mind on the spirit Colossians 3:2 set your mind on things above 1st Corinthians, 2:16 have the mind of Christ Philippians 2:5. This mind is yours and Christ and here's a big I thought I want you to think about. Adam and Eve first turn from God in their thoughts and I understand that the heart is the center and the place where our will sits what is a deceptive idea and in their thoughts they turn from God we need to turn to God and our thoughts. We do we need to gird our minds with the truth Romans 12:2 do not be conformed but transformed by the renewing of your mind and transformation begins to happen. We set our mind our faction on God. To think clearly about the truth. We have to do some work in this we have to armor up. We have to Be watchful. Because listen redeemers, you're not going to just drift towards holiness. not 10 years ago 15 years ago 20 years ago 5 weeks ago you made a profession of faith. I love and serve and want to follow Jesus and you see somebody in here that 70 80 and they're just being me with the truth of God in them. And you're going I want to be like them. You're not just going to drift towards that we set our mind and our action in our hearts desire towards that and Sundays are great. Tell you what meme Robin on for 40 minutes is not enough. Join the community group begin to hear from other people in the body there so many gifted people in here. There are so many talented. I have got these people. I know that I am just learning so much from being challenged and growing from I'll be in the body of Christ the priesthood with so much to get from one another we need to then invest in it. YouTube discipleship come talk to me or James about how and who we can connect you with whether it's ourselves or somebody else, but you're not going to drift towards Holiness Matthew 22 love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your strength. And with all your Hines Christianity is not a system of belief that is for the naive of mind, but our minds can actually engage. Do you actually spend your time?
or sometime doing your mind with the truth. Four things see here. I don't even know how I got before but I did prayer resist the devil through prayer. We're not going to go through all the armor of God in here and talked about each point individually primary. This idea of prayer with Paul ends on is we need to be pray for one another. Praying is not a place where we can achieve but it's simply coming before God making our request known. Prayer is not some kind of activity that is divine in the sense that you're going to get some levitation that maybe you're going to conjure up the very spirit of God, but it's divine activity because work. Engaging the spiritual world are saying God. We need you to work. We need you to someday. The devil wants to get in in this race.
I'm even giving these tools to resist and James chapter 4 going to end with this for seven through eight submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you draw near to God and He will draw near to you cleanse your hands you Sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded. submit yourselves to God all of yourself Hearts your mind your being who you are come before him. And this whole point of the Book of James is making this distinction between a mere profession of faith and the actual possession of faith that have submitted my life to you. That's what it means to be a Christian. If not just to adopt some ethical beliefs or a Systematic Theology or some kind of code of conduct that we're all going to go out and try to carry on. Those things fail societies done a really bad job. We always are exiting deals and doing all kinds of other stuff. That's for you to right there. Yeah.
So we're always doing this to try and end it cannot legislate Our Lives into any kind of submission change. It comes from knowing Jesus as you know, Jesus when the tax come here with us a Jesus loves me. He's taking my sin. He's taking my Guild's he's taking my shame. You made me part of a new community and now I can stand firm in the faith that mean I can rest in Christ recognized. resist rest rest because you don't have to go out there and fight these battles. He already won. We fight from Victory not for victory. We are clinging and holding on to what he has given us. So be strong in the Lord and in his mind and be strengthened by a father. Thank you. Thank you that you did not leave us as a defenseless people that you made us your own call this to be yours. Thank you that you love and care for us and have given yourself for US Open the Eyes of the blind may they see the power the beauty the wonderfulness of who you are and your deep love for them work in us and through us today in the name of Jesus.