Evil destroys vision

We have taken a couple of weeks to “unmask” the Devil and his mission, evil. His strategy to destroy, his pattern of planting deception and assignment of inventing evil!

1.Evil seeks to destroy mission.

Luke 8:12 (NLT) "The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved."

1.These are the very words of Jesus telling us that we have an enemy on the loose and one of his missions is to oppose people's salvation!

1.God's mission:save, rescue humanity.

2.Evil's mission:destroy humanity, plant confusion, inspire unbelief, propagate dishonor, disrespect, and rebellion.

2.John 19 one of the accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

John 19:28 (NLT)

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, "I am thirsty."

1.Christ's mission was fulfilled now we must fulfill ours.

1.What is God asking of you?

2.What has God planned for you?

3.           God had written out, blueprinted, and engineered "you for such a time as this."

2.Evil seeks to keep you masked, keep you faking your relationship in God so the world will never hear the message of Jesus, never hear about the hope of the cross, or the forgiveness of sins.

Illustrate here: baton

1.There is a mission desperately trying to be passed to you, there is a calling desperately seeking to overtake you, there is a gifting that God is seeking to pour out of you, are you ready?

1.Mission, calling, gifting and evil can not coexist!

2.Are you ready to be all that God has designed you to be?

3.Have you let go of all other things to just embrace Him?

John 8:44 (NLT) "For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."

•                              The Devil cannot tell the truth!

•                  He is the ultimate liar!

•      Isn’t this ironic…the greatest lie of all is to be deceived and convinced that the Devil does not even exist!

•                  Atheist-person who does not believe in the existence of God.

•                  Agnostic-a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God.

Romans 1:28-32 (NLT)

"Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. [29] Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. [30] They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. [31] They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. [32] They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too."

1.Acknowledge God in your calling, acknowledge God in your finances, acknowledge God in your service, acknowledge God in your future, acknowledge God in your relationships, acknowledge God in and through all that you do.

1.God gives life and Satan takes it! 

2.So the only power that the Devil has and that sin has is what we allow it to have in our lives.

3.Don't give in to evil.

Psalm 23:4 (KJV) "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;"

1.God is with me.

2.God is as close as the mention of His name, His angels guard, protect and overshadow me.

Habakkuk 2:1-4 (NLT)

"I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint. [2] Then the Lord said to me, "Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. [3] This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. [4] "Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God."

1.Write the vision(answer)--which I am about to reveal to thee.

2.Make it plain--In large legible characters.

3.Upon tablets--boxwood tablets covered with wax, on which national affairs were engraved with an iron pen, and then hung up in public, at the prophets own houses, or at the temple, that those who passed might read them.

4.So that a runner may carry the correct message--commonly explained, so intelligible as to be easily read/understood by any one running past but then it would be, that he that runneth may read it.

1.Run your race for God to carry the correct message.

5.The vision is yet for an appointed time/future time--Though the time appointed by God for the fulfilment be future, it should be enough for your faith that God has spoken it.

2. Evil destroys vision

1.Evil in you will keep vision from you.

2.Evil destroys vision.

1.Di vision

2.Die vision

3.That's the Devil's job to keep you from envisioning better, to keep you from envisioning freedom, to keep you from envisioning God's perfect plan in your life.

1.If he continues to keep you distracted with the evil things of this world then he will keep the spiritual things, the vision, from you.

2.He will keep the vision from being fulfilled, he will keep the vision hidden, suppressed, keep you running without a message, keep you running without spiritual purpose.

Proverbs 29:18 (NLT)

"When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful."

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

1.No vision means: no instruction in God's truth, no clarity in His plan, purpose, and will.

2.People perish--deprived of moral restraints.

1.Therefore sin to destroy them, eternally.

3.Obeys the law--has hold of it's understanding, and observes, instruction.

Galatians 1:4, NLT "Jesus gave His life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live."

1.If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you.

2.Every trial you endure will help you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles. No matter what manner of evil you ever face God is bigger, God is more, God is close.

3.Evil disassembles the most admirable dreams, disrupts the greatest of plans, destroyed many a talented people and thwarts away the purest of motives.

4.Evil divides, evil disrupts, evil evades, evil confuses and evil dispels.

3. Evil will keep you from wisdom.

Proverbs 2:12-15 (NLT) "Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted. [13] These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths. [14] They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil. [15] Their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong."

1.Some people say I don't know how to make right decisions but that's not true, look around someone will guide you into the ways of God. 

2.Look closely, someone will guide you into wisdom.

3.Look closely someone will guide you into freedom. 

Illustrate here:masks. Use an evil mask to understand how you wear this all day yet this is not what you are. Wear a good mask to understand this is what you wear all day yet this is not what you are. 

Evil / Who is the Devil

Tonight we are going to talk about the father of all evil.
The Devil.
The Bible has a bunch to say about the Devil.
Who he is…how he works and what he does!
WE are going to take a couple of weeks to “Unmask” him, his strategies, patterns and mission!

The devil is not a myth or a legend…He is very real and very alive!
Pastor Mike I have never seen him!
Might I remind you that you have never seen gravity either!
But we see the work of it…you jump off of this church and gravity  is very real!
We have seen the works of the devil in action!
2. Jesus himself addressed this issue of the Devil being very alive and very real!

Luke 8:12 (NLT) "The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved."
These are the very words of Jesus telling us that we have an enemy on the loose and one of his missions is to oppose people's salvation!
Matthew 4:1 (NLT) "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the Devil."
Jesus had a very real encounter with the Devil.

This is the account of the Devil not only while he was in Heaven before he rebelled, but also when he got kicked out!
The Devil was a created being!

Luke 10:18 (NLT)
"Yes," he told them, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!"

Isaiah 14:12-17 (NLT)
"How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. [13] For you said to yourself, 'I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. [14] I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.' [15] Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. [16] Everyone there will stare at you and ask, 'Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? [17] Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world's greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?"

Ezekiel 28:13-19 (NLT)
You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone- red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald- all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. [14] I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. [15] "You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. [16] Your rich commerce led you to violence, and you sinned. So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. [17] Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings. [18] You defiled your sanctuaries with your many sins and your dishonest trade. So I brought fire out from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. [19] All who knew you are appalled at your fate. You have come to a terrible end, and you will exist no more."

From these scriptures we can piece together that the Devil was probably the Worship leader in heaven before he chose to rebel! (Freewill)
He is not the creator…but rather the created and very alive!
John 8:44 (NLT) "For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."
The Devil cannot tell the truth!
WOW let's recap–loves to do evil, a murderer, truth hater, liar, consistent character defamer and the father of all lies!
The devil created lying!
He is the most incredible at it!
I've met a few people who were an incredibly close second but no one is better!
He is the ultimate liar!
Isn’t this ironic…the greatest lie of all is to be deceived and convinced that the Devil does not even exist!
Atheist-person who does not believe in the existence of God.
Agnostic-a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God.
Revelation 12:9 (NLT) "This great dragon-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-was thrown down to the earth with all his angels."

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT) "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (NLT) "But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. [15] So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve."
He wears a mask to hide his true identity!
This is why evil is so enticing looking so pleasurable and good!
It's masked from it's true identity.
The Devil makes what is wrong appear right and what is right appear wrong and tedious.
The Devil has strategies against you!
A strategy is an “organized plan of attack” to achieve a goal or mission!
The Devil’s mission statement is found in John 10:10 – “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy your life…”
He plots and schemes on how he and his army of demons can destroy your life, your family, your reputation, your job, your finances, your marriage…you name it…He has a plan against it!
How ignorant of us to not expose and understand how he works and who he is!
2 Corinthians 2:11 (NLT) "so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes."

Ephesians 6:11-12 (NLT) "Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. [12] For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

So this is the game changer for me…to realize, recognize and comprehend that he is personally after me! After my sons! My wife! My Daughters! My Family! And the ministry God has called, ordained, and separated me to.
I will not stand idly by!

The devils power is very limited!
The Devil had a plan and that plan blew up and backfired!
He thought that when Jesus died on the cross that all hell would break loose and that that the Son of God was finally defeated!
What he did not know was God’s complete plan!
Listen…The Devil can only twist what God has already put in place!
What about in Romans 1 where it says that they invent evil…just look at what they are doing.
God gives life and Satan takes it!
God created sex for a husband and wife and Satan twisted it and said do it outside of marriage, have it with whomever you want, then man with man and woman with woman!
You owe it to yourself to read Romans 1 to see what God thinks of this.
So the only power that the Devil has is what we give him!
Fear cannot get a grip on us unless we allow it to stay.
Colossians 2:15 (NLT)
"In this way, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross."
God is the creator and the Devil is created!
God is omnipotent (all powerful)…the Devil is not!
God is omnipresent (everywhere)…the Devil is in one spot!
God is omniscient (all knowing)…the Devil is created!

LISTEN:  If the Devil knew everything…He would have never rebelled!  Why?  Look where he is going to end up for Eternity…

Revelation 20:10 (NLT) "Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

How do we defeat him every day of our lives?

James 4:7 (NLT) "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
The key is submitting your life to Jesus Christ.
Take up His Word every day and take up your cross every moment.
To look temptation in the eyes and face it all with the Word of God!
All my areas submitted to the Lord.
Matthew 22:37 – “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength…”

Submit=Honor, live for, be faithful to.
Being a true follower of Jesus Christ…not a pretender and a fake…that is what we just said the Devil does!
If that is the way you are doing life...who's control and influence are you under?

1 John 5:18 (NLT) "We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them."

Psalm 23:4 (KJV) "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;"

Blindfold of Pride

blindfold of pride

Illustrate here: Blindfold with the word pride painted on it and someone wearing it and quoting:

Pride

I desire to do something amazing for God (long pause) someday.

Today is just not my day.

I often think about letting Him take control.

Today is just not my day.

Maybe I worry about what everyone will think about me.

Is today my day?

What would it matter anyway?

I’m doing just fine.

Life couldn’t be any better.

As long as I take care of myself and what I want that’s all that matters.

Life couldn’t be any better. (long pause)

Could it?

·       There are hurting people all around you.

·       You just won’t allow yourself see them. They need God.

·       They need hope. They need a miracle from the only miracle worker. But you can’t see past your pride.

·       You’ll never see the missed opportunities. You’ll never see the lives you injure, corrupt, and even destroy because your pride is in the way.

o      The blindfold of pride.

o      I believe the church is in dire need of a blindfold removal.

2 Timothy 3:1 “You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”

1.     Pride is a conceited sense of one’s superiority. It means to be arrogant, haughty, egotistical, or overconfident.

·       Pride exalts me, myself, and I above all others.

·       Pride is selfish and exhausting work.

·       Pride is confidence in the wrong things.

·       Pride is self-reliance because of what we have, who we know, or what we have done.

There are 2 powerful stories in the book of Luke that Jesus taught about the sin of pride.

Luke 14:7 “When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice:8 "When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 10 "Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

12 “Then he turned to his host.”When you put on a luncheon or a banquet," he said, "don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you."

1.     Be careful at how you look at yourself and how you perceive others vs. how God looks at all of humanity.

a.    Jesus taught us two lessons here.

                                                             i.      First, speaking to the guests, tells them not to seek places of honor.

1.     Service is more important in God’s Kingdom than status.

                                                          ii.      Second, He told the host not to be limited about whom he invited.

1.     God opens His kingdom to everyone.

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

2.    Proud Pharisee vs. crooked tax collector.

Luke 18:9 “Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.'14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

·       We see this statement again from Christ about being justified before God, “those who humble themselves.”

a.    Humility is a choice, an option, an alternative.

The bible teaches us that men look on the outward appearance but how God looks on the heart. 

b.    You might say in public or private, “I am too good to help those kinds of people.” I’m better than that.

                                                             i.      I am more educated than you therefore everything I will ever think, do, dream, or imagine will be better than you. 

                                                          ii.      I am the most incredible looking girl/guy at school, at work. 

o      I was here before you or I know more people than you, I have a better relationship with the Pastors, I serve as part of the volunteer staff.

o      They think they are the only ones doing anything and the only ones capable to do that thing.

o      Everyone asks them to do stuff because the world can’t do without them.

o      These type people walk blindly right into the devils trap.

·       To keep you full of pride will completely cut you off from God.

Isaiah 14:12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

·       Pride was the exclusive sin of the devil himself.

o      Don’t stay wearing the Blindfold of pride.

2.    Humility is like an elevator. (act this out)

·       I get in the elevator on my knees before God.

·       My position never changes-I am in a humbled state.

·       But God pushes the button, the door opens and I have been raised to a new level. I didn’t do it, God did!

o      My talents, strengths, and abilities didn’t land me there God did.

·       People give way too much credit to their gifting and not to God.

o      My achievements, my possessions, my education, and the people I know doesn’t impress God and His circle of friends.

1 John 2:16 “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

o      God still demotes and promotes. He pays tribute to the humble.

·       We must crave what Christ craved, humility.

o      Remember humility is not self-degradation: it is a realistic self-assessment and commitment to serve.

3.    What does God think of pride?

Proverbs 6:16 “There are six things the LORD hates—no, seven things He detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.”

·       All encompassing the physical body but all coming from the heart. 3 involving the mouth.

Proverbs 8:13 “All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.”

Perverse-wicked, bad, mean, vicious.

·       Pride is infectious, crippling, and destructive.

·       Pride will bankrupt you.

·       Pride will make you drive what others think you should drive, go where others think you should go, wear what others think you should wear, and be who others think you should be.

·       Pride leaves you helpless, causes a person to despise others, and prevents him/her from learning anything about God.

o      You’re so vain I bet you think this sermon isn’t about you. Your so vain I know this sermon isn’t about me, bout me, bout me.

·       If God hates pride and He does then I’m telling you the blindfold of pride will keep you from your divine calling and purpose for God. You can’t get there wearing this!

·       The blindfold of pride will terminate a relationship with Christ.

o      Pride will take you farther than you wanted to go and keep you longer than you intended to stay.

·       If God hates pride and He does then I’m telling you that the blindfold of pride will keep you from:

o      An amazing marriage. An astonishing relationship with your children. 

o      The promotion at work. Opportunities. Financial freedom. Giving gifts. Relationships. Forgiveness.

o      God’s house, God’s truths, God’s blessings, God’s miracles, and God’s heaven.

4.    Humility is a characteristic of greatness.

a.    Moses

                                                             i.      Numbers 12:3 “Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.”

                                                          ii.      Deuteronomy 34:10 “There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.”

b.    John the Baptist

John 3:30 “He must increase and I must decrease.”

c.     Paul

                                                             i.      Paul in the year 59a.d. wrote to one of the churches and made this statement. “I am least of the apostles.”

                                                          ii.      Then 5 years later in 64a.d. he wrote another letter to the church in Ephesus. Here he said, “I am least of the saints.”

·       He was least of the apostles now 5 years later he’s least of the saints.

                                                        iii.      After that one year later in 65a.d. just before he dies he writes to Timothy and he says, “I feel like I am the chief of all sinners.” The longer Paul walked with God the more he served and loved God the smaller he became.

d.    Jesus

                                                             i.      Philippians 2 The model of a servant.

                                                          ii.      Giving himself to the point of death was the essence of who Jesus was. It was in His DNA.

I plead with you to let down the blindfold of pride this morning.

·       Untie the knot and let God have control.

You have fought long enough, you have waited long enough, you have argued with God long enough and you have lived this way long enough.

·       Full of yourself, full of pride, full of the “but what will everyone think of me infection?” but empty inside.

Vacant of God you are and completely unoccupied.

·       Will you fully surrender to Him this morning?

·       Will you allow Him to use you for His service?

Isaiah 57:15 “The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this:

"I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”