Satan’s Subtle Strategy
1 John 2:18-23
Intro: A young woman brought her fiancé home to meet her parents for thanksgiving dinner. After dinner, her mother told her father to find out about the young man. The father invited the fiancé to his study for a talk.
"So what are your plans?" the father asked the young man. "I am a biblical scholar," he replied.
"A Biblical scholar. Hmmm," the father said. "Admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in?"
"I will study," the young man replied, "and God will provide for us."
"And how will you buy her a beautiful engagement ring, such as she deserves?" asked the father.
"I will concentrate on my studies," the young man replied, "God will provide for us."
"And children?" asked the father. "How will you support children?"
"Don’t worry, sir, God will provide," replied the fiancé.
The conversation proceeded like this, and each time the father questioned, the young idealist insisted that God would provide.
Later, the mother asked, "How did it go, Honey?" The father answered, "He has no job and no plans, and he thinks I’m God
. It seemed the young man had no direction did he?
. While you can applaud him for his faith in God, God expects us to work also.
. Without a plan in life, nothing ever seems to go right.
. We all need plans.
. We are about to embark on another journey as a church.
. We had our vision casting about a year and a half ago and we have been successful in what we set out to do.
. That session was more about setting goals for the immediate future and we have accomplished much of that.
. Now it is time to review and renew or vision.
. Our mission will never change.
. We will always endeavor to “encourage and develop those we meet into committed followers of Jesus”
. I encourage each of you to participate in the vision casting sessions.
. You will hear more about this in the next couple of weeks.
. There is a need for individuals and churches to have a strategic plan. It keeps us focused on our goals.
. Did you know that Satan also has a strategic plan?
. We are going to see that plan in our scripture this morning.
. I call it Satan’s Subtle Strategy and we see it in 1 John 2:18-23
. 18Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.
19These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
20But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.
21So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.
22And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.
23Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
. The first thing we see here in Satan’s strategy is:
. When The Strategy Started
. The strategy started the second Jesus died on that cross.
.Look at verse 18 again:
. 18Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.
. John writes “Dear Children”, therefore we know that he is writing to Christians.
. He says listen up Christians, the antichrists are here. They are starting now. These are the last days.
.Do you get tired of people predicting the end of the world.
. There have been over two hundred advertised predictions for the end of the world.
. Harold Camping, the host of the “Family Radio Network” predicted that the last day would be May 21, 2011 @ 6pm.
. That didn’t happen.
. He had a long history of trying to predict when Jesus would come back.
. I have always said that if somebody got lucky and guessed, God would change it.
. In Matthew chapter 24:36 Jesus says that no one, not the angels or even Jesus knows when the last day will be.
. The reason is that we are confused about the last days.
. Folks, the last days started when Jesus died on the cross.
. We are living in the last days.
. All creation has been living in the last days since the ascension of Jesus.
. We see time as linear and have a hard time comprehending what these last days are because we want to put a number on them.
. We can’t do that.
. Are we closer to the end, of course. Common sense tells us that every day that passes will put us one day closer but we don’t know when.
. Satan saw what was done on the cross and he developed and initiated his plan.
. John says not only is the ultimate Antichrist coming, there have already been antichrists among us.
. His plan was started as soon as the last days started.
. Not only do we see when this grand strategy started, we also see:
. Who will be the main players in this strategy.
. Antichrists.
. Yes there will be an ultimate Antichrist but until then, there will be a multitude of antichrists.
.Satan will use anybody he can who is against Christ.
. Folks, the atheists are winning here in America.
. That’s part of the grand plan.
. We as Christians sit back and in the name of tolerance and religious liberty, we allow the atheists to win.
. That’s part of the strategy. He knows that ultimately he is going to lose but he wants to take as many with him as he can.
. They are not just in our streets protesting, they are in our schools and yes even in our churches.
.Satan will use people who are church folk.
.Look at verse 19 again:
. 19These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
. These antichrists, as John calls them, were members of the church but something happened.
. Satan pulled them into his grand strategy and they would start churches of their own but would deny many of the tenets of the faith.
. They would question the Gospel.
. Look at verses 21&22 again
. 21So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.
22And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.
. Satan would take people who had just a little knowledge of God’s word and use them to pervert and twist the truth.
. You see, there are some basics to the faith that are not negotiable nor up for a different interpretation.
. We can argue translation issues and cultural issues but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is undeniable.
. Over and over again in scripture we are told that Jesus Christ, the Son of God was born into this world in order to be the sacrifice for our sin. In order to reconcile mankind with God.
. Scripture makes it clear that He was crucified, a horrible death, so that you and I can be saved.
. Scripture makes it clear that He was resurrected from the grave to prove that what He was telling us was the truth and illustrating for us that yes, there is a life after death for all who believe.
. Scripture makes it clear that Jesus ascended back to where He originated and will one day come back for those who believe. Either dead or alive, it makes no difference.
. Satan wants to cast doubt and division among people so they will not know what to believe.
. He does this with the antichrists.
. There is a movement out there today called the emerging church.
. I will tell you about them and let you make up your own mind.
. Several years back, Christianity Today had a cover article featuring the emerging church.
. They are not a formal denomination but are a group of Christian communities around the world who want to “revamp the church”
. John MacArthur writes about this in his book, “The Truth War”
. There were several people profiled in the article.
. One couple, Rob and Kristen Bell are leaders of Mars Hill, one of the largest emerging church communities, as they call them, in the US.
. Here are a couple of quotes from these two leaders of this emerging church.
. They said that they had become increasingly uncomfortable in the church.
. Kristen said: “Life in the Church had become so small. It had worked for me for a long time. Then it stopped working.”
. They started questioning the Bible itself.
. Kristen says that she “grew up thinking that we’ve figured the Bible out, that we knew what it means, now I have no idea what most of it means.”
.Rob is quoted as saying that they were “Discovering the Bible as a human product” rather than a divine product.
. In other words, the Bible is not the inspired word of God.
. The article also featured Brian Mclaren, a former pastor and he said this.
. “I don’t think we have the Gospel right yet…”
. I suggest that you research the emerging church and make up your own mind about the movement.
. What they are attacking though are the truths of our faith.
. The Gospel is not something we have to get right,
. Jesus already did that. Jesus got it right when He gave his life for us.
.Satan’s plan though is to use these antichrists to confuse and cloud the truth of Jesus Christ.
. Folks, Satan is not omniscient or omnipotent so he must use anyone he can find to turn people away from Jesus Christ.
. John warns us to watch out for those that will take the Gospel and twist it and reduce it to no more than a story written by man.
. John also gives us a word of encouragement this morning.
. Look at verse 20 again.
. 20But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.
. John says that we are not antichrists, those who are against Christ.
. Why, because we have been given the Holy Spirit that dwells within us if we are saved.
. That Spirit will guide us in what is truth and what is a lie.
. Folks, don’t let Satan’s Subtle Strategy pull you away from fellowship with God.
. When he does that, you can no longer be a witness for God.
. Watch out, be on guard because we do have an enemy who does have a strategic plan.
. Don’t become a part of his plan.
. Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
Sources: The Holy Bible, NLT
The Truth War: John Macarthur
Illustration from sermon central
