OPEN: (We opened with the promo for the new movie "Get Smart" starring Steve Carell. It starts with the phrase:
"There has always been a delicate balance between Kaos and Control. Now, with that balance threatened, it’s time to turn to one man...")
He was known as the Butcher.
A follower of Stalin, this man was sent to the Ukraine shortly after WWII to put down a rebellion by Ukrainian nationalists. He was so efficient at what he did that he earned the name “The Butcher of the Ukraine.
When Stalin died, there was a short power struggle. But eventually, the “Butcher” became the leader of the Communist Soviet Union from 1958 thru 1964.
Does anybody know what his name was? (Nikita Khrushchev)
He was a bully.
A brute intent on cowing the world into submission.
At one point, he sat at the United Nations, took off his shoe and pounded it on the table in attempt to intimidate the representatives of the other countries who were present.
He even brought the US to the very edge of nuclear holocaust when his actions created the Cuban Missile Crisis.
And he once declared to the Free world:
“Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you.”
To many Americans, Khrushchev was a very scary man.
He represented the worst of our enemies.
He stood for the struggle between communism and democracy - between totalitarianism and freedom.
This was an age of fear and great concern for many Americans.
It was one of the worst parts of an age that was called the “Cold War”.
In the midst of this uncertain age, this Cold War, there were a number of movies and TV shows that dealt with spies and espionage.
There was 007,
The Man from UNCLE,
Mission Impossible and others.
And they all dealt with the conflict between the forces of the “Free World” and organizations intent on destroying that freedom.
Among those shows was a hit TV sitcom called “Get Smart”.
And in that comedy, the writers gave names to their two opposing spy networks:
Control – the good guys, upholding the cause of Freedom.
And Kaos – an evil organization committed to world domination.
Now, "Get Smart" poked fun at the spy shows of its day.
BUT in naming the those two organizations Control and Kaos, the show’s writers summed up the very conflict of the day… as well as the more fundamental conflict of mankind down thru the ages.
You see, the Bible tells us that there are 2 forces at war in this world.
There are the forces of darkness and evil - forces bent upon robbing us of our freedom and creating chaos in our lives. They are forces that Ephesians 6:12 calls “… the rulers, … the authorities, … the powers of this dark world and… the spiritual forces of evil...”
And then (by contrast) , there’s the forces of light and freedom - forces controlled by the power and love of God.
THAT’S US. We’re the good guys.
Ephesians 6 is goes on to say that this is a very real conflict with some very real dangers. And so Ephesians 6:13 warns us to
“…put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes (and it will come), you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Now, there is a stark contrast between the world darkness’ and chaos - and the world of God’s Control.
Khrushchev understood that contrast. He once said:
“The difference between Christianity and Communism is great.
When someone strikes you on the face, you turn the other cheek.
If you strike me on the face, I’ll hit you so hard your head will fall off.”
Paul describes this contrast in Ephesians 4:17-20
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.”
What Paul is saying is this:
The world of chaos is filled with darkness and selfishness.
These are a people who controlled only by their own sense of morality.
But you’re a Christian and you’re called to live differently than that.
But we weren’t always in the realm of God’s Kingdom.
A couple of chapters earlier, Paul told Ephesians – you used to live like that.
“…you used to… (follow) the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.” Ephesians 2:2-3
But then “…because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5
We’ve received a great gift – the gift of salvation.
And because of that gift, we now live in the Free World.
We’re no longer under the dominion of Satan’s power.
But Ephesians 6 tells us Satan wants us back.
He once had us and he no longer does… but he wants us back.
The forces of darkness and chaos will come against us.
Satan’s objective to have world domination
And he’s never going to be satisfied as long as we’re outside his control.
And so we need to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against him.
(pause)
Now Satan does have a limitation.
Speaking about Christians in 1 John 5:18 God tells us “…the wicked one does not touch him.”
In other words: Satan can’t directly touch us or bring us down.
There’s no such thing as demon possession of a Christian.
He can’t touch our relationship with God.
Now, he’d like to make us think he can, and so in the very beginning of Ephesians (chapter 1) Paul repeatedly reinforces the fact that we:
· Have received redemption
· Forgiveness
· Grace
· Love
· And we have been adopted as God’s children
We have special relationship with God.
No matter how many times Satan may threaten, bully and attempt to intimidate us he can’t touch our relationship with God.
And so he has to find a way to draw us back into his world.
He has to find a way to convince us that we had had it better “back then”
OR to convince us that we didn’t deserve that relationship with God to begin with.
One of the principle tool Satan has to accomplish his goal is temptation. That’s why Paul says in Ephesians 4:17
I “… insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.”
Pauls’ telling us - Don’t go back!
Get smart!
Don’t go there.
Don’t read their magazines
Don’t watch their entertainment
Don’t visit their websites
Don’t live their kind of lives
Don’t share their foul jokes
Don’t party with them
Don’t sleep with them
Don’t get drunk with them
Don’t share in their impurity, sensuality and lust
DON’T cross over the line to that other side.
Because if you do… one of these days, you’re going to try to get back to God and you’ll find that an “iron curtain” has come down between you and God. An iron curtain of guilt and shame that will convince you that God wouldn’t ever forgive you.
Now, that won’t be true. God has forgiven all kinds of sinners – sinners who have sinned far worse than you or I could ever think to. But that’s how you’ll feel because Satan will use that guilt to drive a wedge between you and God.
Revelation tells us that Satan is “the accuser” (Revelation 12:10)
He loves to whisper in your ear and remind you of all the things you’ve done and said of which you would be ashamed. And if he can get you to cross the border often enough… he’s confident he can keep you.
Now, sometimes Satan’s a little more subtle even than that.
I’ve seen people cross over the border into Satan’s territory… and them end up staying there still thinking their living the free world.
ILLUS: Several years ago “Life” magazine did a report on prayer. And in that report they quoted a prostitute who said:
“A lot of people think us working girls don’t have any morals, any religion. But I do. I don’t steal. I don’t lie. The way I look at it, I’m not sinning. He’s not going to judge me. I don’t think God judges anybody." (Life Magazine, March 94)
Was she deceived? Of course she was.
ILLUS: I visited with a young man some time back.
He’d been baptized into Christ, was going to church, reading his Bible.
But the last time I saw him, he was on drugs, listening to foul music - filled with bitterness and hate.
But he told he how much he loved God.
He told me he prayed every night.
He had crossed over to other side and didn’t realize it.
He had crossed over… and he was enslaved.
Now, part of what had drawn him away from God was his bitterness.
Somebody close to him had hurt him and he couldn’t forgive them.
You know… this is one of the most powerful tools Satan has in his arsenal.
He has used this weapon against God’s people time and time again with great success.
Thus, Paul warned the Ephesians:
“… do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Ephesians 4:30
Christians who get caught up in bitterness and rage and anger allow themselves to do a terrible thing… they allow themselves to grieve the Holy Spirit.
And there a lot of Christians who let themselves get caught up in it.
They find themselves being angry with their wives/ husbands/ children.
With their parents/ in-laws
With the people they work with
People they live next door to
People at church
Somebody ticks them off, and they just can’t quite think of that person without anger.
And you can tell when this anger takes hold.
They tell you (pause) their STORIES.
And they tell them (pause) over and over and over again.
And every time they tell their “stories” you can feel the hurt and bitterness.
And they don’t want to spend any time with that person.
They couldn’t talk civilly with them.
They wouldn’t be comfortable in the same room with them.
And the real advantage Satan has in this is that he can make us feel so “religious” when we feel that way. And - like my friend who still prays to Jesus and takes his drugs, and listens to foul music – a Christian can end up on the wrong side of the border without realizing it.
That’s why Paul goes on to say that we should not only GET RID of those emotions in our lives, but we should “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 4:32 - 5:2
Let Jesus be your example.
Imitate God.
You DIDN’T deserve forgiveness… so learn to forgive others as God forgave you.
Why?
Well, because “… our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
The people who would make us angry need salvation as much as we do.
They need Jesus in their lives as much or more than us.
And if we make these folks the focus of our spiritual war we’re less likely to ever draw them away from Satan’s realm.
You see – we are at war.
Jesus once said that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against (the church).” Matthew 16:18
Our objective is to storm the gates of hell.
Our objective is to pull back the iron curtain of Satan’s power and free people who have been darkened in their understanding - who have lived in ignorance because of the hardening of their hearts.
And – this is the cool part – we have the advantage over Satan.
We have the advantage over “… the rulers, … the authorities, … the powers of this dark world and… the spiritual forces of evil...”
Did you know that?
Read Ephesians 6:12 with me again: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil…” (pause)
Where? “In the heavenly realms.”
Who’s in the heavenly realms?
Well, if you just read that one verse, you’d think it was the spiritual forces of evil.
But that’s not true.
Ephesians 2:6 says
“…God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”
When we were saved, God lifted us up to live in the heavenly realms.
We’re there right now.
You may think you’re sitting here in a church building in Logansport, IN, but in reality – if you’re a Christian - you’re in the heavenly realms right now.
You know what that means?
You have the high ground.
Not just the “high ground” morally.
You have the “high ground” militarily.
Every military expert will tell you that if you’re going to be in a battle you want the high ground. Because the army that holds the high ground has the advantage and they’re more likely to win the fight.
CLOSE: Dwight D. Eisenhower was the supreme commander of the Allied forces that ultimately defeated the dark powers of Hitler and Nazi Germany.
He was literally a military genius.
After the war he became President of Columbia University, but left that office in 1951 to become supreme commander of the newly formed NATO.
In 1952 he was approached to run for President of the US.
He won a sweeping victory and became the 34th President of the United States.
And as our President he dealt with the dangers of the Cold War.
When Stalin died in 1953, there was a power struggle in the Soviet Union resulting in the ultimate selection of the Butcher of the Ukraine becoming their leader.
Dwight D. Eisenhower and Nikita Khrushchev now stood toe to toe.
The leader of the Free World facing the leader of the Communist powers.
Then, one day, Khrushchev visited Eisenhower in the United States.
It was a monumental moment.
Eisenhower had him on his territory.
What strategy could this once great commander of the Allies employ with Khrushchev?
You know what he did? (pause) He invited him to church.
On Sunday morning, September 27, 1959, President Eisenhower invited Khrushchev to accompany him to a worship service at Gettysburg Presbyterian Church.
Khrushchev turned him down.
But why invite this anti-God communist to go to church to begin with?
Because Eisenhower was a military genius.
He knew that
· no matter how scary the Butcher could be
· no matter how evil communism had been
· no matter how godless and profane the communist party was…
God held the higher ground.
And if he could just get Khrushchev into church the power of the gospel just might reach into that cold heart and change the course of history.
