August 28, 2011
Morning Worship
Text: Hebrews 10:32-29
Subject: Trusting God’s Word
Title: Holding On to the Joy You Have
Have you ever had anything stolen? Isn’t it a terrible feeling to think that something you once had and maybe even cherished was taken from you? And maybe you even know who it was but you couldn’t prove it so there is nothing you can legally do about it.
My Mom and Step-dad owned a little country store. Their house was beside the store and my folks were continually worried that someone was going to break in and rob them. I want you to understand this, there probably was sufficient reason for them to be concerned. One of the little towns near where they lived had become run down and was basically being taken over by drug users and dealers. Here is what happened one night with them. It was in the fall of the year when, in the middle of the night the alarm went off in the house, indicating that someone was in the store. My Mom and Step-dad went around to the front of the store and found a window that had been broken. That was the point of entry. He looked in the window and saw three young men. And they thought they recognized one of the boys. At that point Mom went to the house and called the Sheriff. During the time that Mom was inside two of the boys saw my step-dad with his .410 shotgun and went out the back window and got away. The third boy was taking the cash register drawer when my step-dad told him to stop or he would shoot. With that the boy dropped the drawer, ran to the back of the store and dove out the same window the other boys escaped from. My step –dad ran around the outside to the back of the store and saw the last boy running across the yard when he fired a shot at his back. I will say this much; it’s a good thing it was in the fall of the year and that boy was wearing insulated coveralls because when the shot hit him at about 35 yards out – well, let me say this much – it got his attention. Later my step-dad would laugh about it saying that after he shot that boy’s feet found another gear. The deputy sheriff was pulling up into the driveway about the time all this was going on, but those three boys were never caught. Even though they thought they knew who one of the boys was, there was never enough proof to do anything about it. My brother Ray told me the other day that he had run into someone who worked with the Troy police department about that time and that the sheriff’s department knew who it was because one of the boys had to have some .410 shot pulled from his backside.
Now I told you that story for a purpose. We have an enemy who the bible says in John 10:10 comes only to steal, kill and destroy… his name is satan. We know who our enemy is and what he wants to do. However, unlike my Mom and step-dad, who knew who tried to rob them, and didn’t have the authority to do any more than what they had done, we have the authority, as blood bought believers, to stand against the devil to keep him from taking what is legally ours.
I want to show you today that you can stop satan from stealing your joy, and if he can’t steal your joy, he can’t get anything else.
Read Hebrews 10:32-39
Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church…
I. SATAN DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW THE WORD. Look at verse 32. 32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. The phrase “received the light” in the NIV makes it sound like it is talking about after you were saved you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering… That is true. Opposition does come after you are saved, but not because you are saved. You know, satan doesn’t like it when you get saved. He’ll try to trick people into giving up and going back to their old lives – and sometimes he succeeds. But what he really hates is people who get into the word. Go back to that phrase “received the light”. The Greek word used here is photizo and it means “to shed rays; to shine; to enlighten or illuminate”. It is talking about the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer in illuminating God’s Word to you in order to bring a deeper understanding of the word. And that is what satan wants. As soon as you begin to get into the word, that is when real opposition will come. Turn over to Mark chapter 4. In explaining the parable of the sower Jesus says, 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. The NKJV says that he comes “immediately”. So when you first begin to have the Word opened up to you, why does satan want to come and steal it away? Mark 4, 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. He doesn’t want us to have the joy that a life in the word bring because it also brings authority and victory and healing and deliverance and power… that is why when you are not rooted in the word he brings “suffering” that is mentioned in Hebrews 10:32 and, 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Why doesn’t satan want you to have the word? Because he knows what Romans 1:16 says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God… there is power in the good news. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. When I first began to understand what God’s word says about our authority and about all His promises that are available to us I was working in a subdivision in St. Peters, MO. Time after time, while working in the trade satan tried to bring injury or hardship to discourage me or even put me out of commission. I was still pretty new in the word when it comes to having faith to believe and receive God’s promises, but over and over I was able to hold onto God’s promise for His protection and good health. That’s when your enemy will attack the hardest. It was then that I had the very first attack on my back. I was out of work for two weeks waiting for it to heal enough to return to work. As soon as I came back there was a young man who attended a church (I’m not saying he was a Christian, just that he attended church) whose very first conversation with me after coming back started like this, “So if God heals like you claim then why do you have back problems?” The author of Hebrews asks us to remember those times when we were new in the Lord and new in the word. There was suffering; you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution and you stood by others who were treated the same. When was that? When we were new! Next, I want you to look at verse 34; You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. Who did that? Christians who were both new in the Lord and new to the Word! That sounds really spiritual doesn’t it? Well, the enemy can take everything and it’s OK cause I’ve got a whole lot better stuff waiting for me in heaven. Oh you pitiful soul. The enemy comes but to steal, kill and destroy… and you are just going to let him have it all? That would be like Larry Harlan sitting in his favorite chair watching the Gaithers on TV and a guy walks into his house, walks over to his gun safe and begins to drill through the lick and take all Larry’s guns. Meanwhile Larry just sits there and watches and after he is gone Larry thinks, “Boy, I wish I had my guns. One of these days I’ll have guns… “ No, those guns that you let him walk out with are still yours. You have your guns right now. They are yours. That is what happens to us in regard to God’s promises. Well, Praise God, I’m gonna get my complete healing in the sweet by and by… According to scripture, you already have your healing. “By His stripes you are healed…” We have just let our enemy rob us blind while we sit by and watch and do nothing about it. I’m pretty sure that if Larry saw anybody headed for his gun safe like that he wouldn’t just sit idly by and let him steal all his possessions. They are too valuable. So when we see that your enemy is attempting to steal you joy by stealing your promises it is time to step us and confront him. “excuse me, but in the name of Jesus that’s all the farther you going. You aren’t getting my family, my health, my finances, my emotions, my victory – one of it. I going to hold on to it until Jesus comes. Turn over to John 15. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. In this context the bearing of much fruit is connected with the faith to allow the Word of God to live in you by faith, then ask whatever you wish, and then see it done. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. Now look at verse 11, I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. When God’s word is abiding in you it always produce joy. So if satan comes to steal the word what else is he trying to steal? Your joy! Because if you don’t have your joy you don’t have your strength. Nehemiah 8:10, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
II. SATAN DOESN’T WANT YOU TO HOLD ON TO YOUR CONFIDENCE 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Do you think that once you have defeated your adversary on one front, say finances, that you’ll never be bothered by him again? 1 Peter 5:8-9, 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. The word that is translated “prowls” is a compound word that means to go around and trample. He isn’t just going to focus on one area of your life. We often hear that the enemy attacks you at your weakest point. The truth is that he attacks at the point where there is the least amount of vigilance. You may think it is your strongest point so you focus on what you consider your weakest. At that point, then, your weak point becomes strong because you are watching out in order to defend yourself. And at some point it may appear that he has bullied you to the point that you can’t take it any longer. Good news. You don’t have to take it. Even if he knocks you backward a step or two in one area here is what the Lord says to Israel in Jeremiah 33:10-11, 10 “This is what the LORD says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without men or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, “Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the LORD. What are the fortunes of the land? It’s talking about all the possessions that Israel had before she was defeated by an enemy. Is that just a promise for Israel? I don’t think so. It is talking about all your possessions. … there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy… What is going to be heard? Where does joy come from? From the Word of God… 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. So how do we do that? How can we avoid the trap of being caught in the battle with no way out? We always have a way out and that way out is always by faith. How does faith come to you? Romans 10:17, (NIV) 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. If satan can get you to lose confidence then you have lost the battle and your joy.
III. SATAN DOES WANT YOU TO LOSE FAITH... 37 For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. Do you know that satan’s activity is on the increase. Revelation 12:12 tells us that satan is just as aware of the times as we are. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” With increased satanic activity comes the increase in expectation on our part. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. Who is the righteous one? Not Jesus. Jesus is alive by the power of God. But you are the righteous – those who live by faith in the Son of God. And when I talk about faith I’m not just talking about saving faith. It is by grace that you are saved through faith… We’re not talking about eternal life. We are talking about this life. Those who belong to Jesus will live this life, this continual battle where the enemy of your soul is on the constant offensive against you and everything that is yours. Remember – the word faith means being fully persuaded. So the righteous are those who are like Abraham, who according to Romans 4, 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. Now a lot of people think that it doesn’t matter if you have the faith to believe every promise God has given as long as you believe in the promise of salvation to eternal life. Do you think that’s true? Do you think that God doesn’t care if you believe His Word or not? If that’s you then you need to look at the rest of verse 38, And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him… The word translated “shrinks back” means to cower or “be a coward”. But the bible says, God has not given us a spirit of fear… perfect love casts out fear… If you allow the enemy to dictate the realities of your life then you shrink back and God is not pleased with that. Verse 39, But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
These three things that I shared with you this morning deal with what satan wants or doesn’t want for your life.
1. He doesn’t want you to know the word.
2. He doesn’t want you to stay confident
3. He does want you to lose faith.
It is good to know exactly what the enemy is trying to do to your life. But it is better to know what God has already done in your life.
In order to win each battle as it comes along we must train ourselves to not look at what the deceiver is doing, but to look at what God has already done and then take possession of His Word by praying the word and confessing the word. Well Pastor Mike, I don’t know what the word says about this certain situation in my life. Then you need to get busy and find a scripture that applies. Not knowing the word is not a valid excuse. Hosea 4:6, my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
This is talking about a lack of knowledge concerning God and His Word.
The bible is so full of passages that tell us the things that belong to those who believe.
We are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms right now…
By His stripes we are healed…
If we call to Him He will answer us and show us great and unsearchable things we do not know…
2 Corinthians 9:6-11, 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
“He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Know the word and receive the blessings of the word fulfilled in your life…
Be confident in the Word and watch God multiply your store of seed…
Hold on to your faith… we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
