Let Me Warn You Again

LET ME WARN YOU AGAIN…

LUKE 22:31-34

31: And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

32: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

33: And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

34: And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

1. THERE IS A DEVIL

- FALLEN ANGEL

- SINS OF REBELLION AND PRIDE

- CONTINUALLY FIGHTING GOD AND HIS WORK

- MIGHTY, BUT NOT ALMIGHTY

- ENTIRELY EVIL… HEADS UP ALL EVIL IN THE WORLD

 THE BIBLE TELLS US HE EXISTS!

 OUR OWN LIVES AND EXPERIENCES TELL US HE EXISTS!

 WE DON’T GO VERY FAR DOWN THE ROAD OF LIFE BEFORE WE MEET HIM!

 HE TEMPTS US… AND DOES EVERYTHING HE CAN TO TEAR US DOWN.

MODERN (LIBERAL) “THINKERS”(?) SCOFF AT THE IDEA OF A LITERAL DEVIL.

WHAT QUALIFIES THEM TO MAKE SUCH A JUDGMENT? THEY ARE UNSAVED… AND THE BIBLE SAYS THE UNSAVED ARE UNABLE TO DISCERN SPIRITUAL THINGS.

ASK YOURSELF THIS…

IF THERE’S NO DEVIL… WHO’S RESPONSBLE FOR ALL THE EVIL IN THE WORLD? GOD? NOT MY GOD!

 IF THERE’S NO MASTERMIND OF EVIL…

 WHO’S BEHIND ALL THE WAR IN THE WORLD?

 WHO’S BEHIND ALL THE POLITICAL GARBAGE?

 WHO’S BEHIND GREED?

 WHO’S BEHIND THE LUST AND SIN? THE SELFISHNESS?

 WHO’S THE CAUSE OF JEALOUSY AND HATRED IN OUR HEARTS?

 WHO HAS BEEN MAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FAMILY UNIT THAT GOD PRESCRIBED FOR MAN IN HIS WORD?

 IS THE DEVIL REAL?

 ASK EVE

 ASK JOB

 ASK JESUS

 ASK ANY MAN WHO HAS TRIED TO LIVE FOR GOD AND CONTRIBUTE TO HIS WORK

2. THE DEVIL DESIRES THAT EVERY SOUL WOULD END UP IN A LITERAL BURNING HELL… WITH HIM!

SOME MEN SAY, “ SATAN NEVER TEMPTS ME!”… AND PRESENT THEMSELVES TO THE WORLD AND TO THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AS SOME MEGA-PIOUS, “HOLIER-THAN-THOU” “SAINT”… A SAINT WHO ENDS UP LEADING THOSE FOLKS INTO MORE TROUBLE THAN THEY COULD POSSIBLY HAVE GOTTEN THEMSELVES INTO!

SOME MEN SAY, “ SATAN NEVER TEMPTS ME!”…

MAYBE THAT’S BECAUSE HE ALREADY HAS YOU IN HIS CLUTCHES, AND DOESN’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT YOU.

3. WHAT DOES THE DEVIL WANT YOU TO DO?

 HE WANTS YOU TO DRIFT AWAY FROM CHURCH

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DO THAT?

 WE DISOBEY

HEBREWS 10:25

 WE DISOBEY THE COMMAND TO RERMEMBER HIM IN THE LORD’S SUPPER

 WE DISOBEY THE COMMAND TO TITHE

 WE DISOBEY THE COMMAND TO WITNESS

 WE EMBARRASS CHRISTIANITY… OUR TESTIMONY SAYS, “THERE IS NOTHING TO CHRISTIANITY.”

 WE STARVE OUR OWN SOULS AND SPIRITUAL LIVES.

 HE WANTS YOU TO TAKE IT EASY… RELAX

AMOS 6:1

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

- CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A SOFT RELIGION… NOT A SOFT BED TO REST ON WHILE YOU’RE WAITING FOR YOUR TRIP TO HEAVEN. IT’S A BATTLE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

I TIM 6:12

12: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

PAUL’S TELLING US THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NO BED OF ROSES.

GIVE WAY TO RELAXATION… YOU IMMEDIATELY LOSE THE BATTLE.

 IT’S EASIER TO STAY HOME ON SUNDAY NIGHT THAN COME BACK.

 IT’S EASIER TO STAY IN BED ON SUNDAY THAN GET UP AND GO TO CHURCH.

 IT’S EASIER TO STAY HOME AND WATCH TV ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT THAN COME TO BIBLE STUDY.

 IT’S EASIER TO REST THAN RESIST. IT’S ALSO EASIER FOR THE DEVIL TO CATCH YOU OFF GUARD… AND WIN AN EASY VICTORY.

 HE WANTS YOU TO NEGLECT THE BIBLE

VERY SIMPLY, THE DEVIL KNOWS THAT IF YOU STORE GOD’S WORD IN YOUR HEART, YOU CAN DEFEAT HIM.

ILLUSTRATION:

Agnostic to preacher sitting at the same table in a train’s dining car:

“Do you preach the Bible?”

“Yes”

“You don’t understand it all, do you?”

“No.”

“Well, what do you do about that?”

“Just as I do in eating this delicious fish. When I come to a bone, I lay it to one side on my plate and go on enjoying the fish. If some fool insists on choking to death on the bones, that’s his problem.”

DON’T LET LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE WHOLE BIBLE KEEP YOU FROM IT. YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ENOUGH TO FEED YOUR SOUL WITH WHAT YOU NEED.