WARFARE ALWAYS SURROUNDS THE BIRTH OF A MIRACLE
Acts 26:17-18
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A Man woke up and said nothing. His Wife, annoyed, shouted, “You’ve forgotten what day it is, haven’t you!” He went to work and confided to a colleague, “I think I forgot my wife’s birthday.”
2. “Not a problem,” his friend told him. “Just go out and buy her a beautiful new dress and a pearl necklace.” So after work he raced home and showered his wife with gifts.
3. “Oh darling,” she replied, “what a beautiful new outfit to pick my mother up from the airport in.”
B. TEXT
“I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:17-18.
C. THESIS
1. Since the beginning of time, wars have been fought because of some valuable – land, salt, diamonds, spices, oil, or to control people. There’s a war going on in the spiritual realm for the souls and lives of men and women.
2. If you’re a Christian, you’re in a battle every day! And upon this battle depends your joy, overcoming sin, happiness in your marriage, and the wellbeing of your children! The problem: most Christians don’t realize this fact of life, and too many of us are asleep in the barracks rather than being active on the battlefield!
3. That’s the subject of this message, “Warfare Always Surrounds The Birth of a Miracle.”
I. WHY IS THERE WARFARE?
A. GOD IS GOOD & WANTS TO BLESS US
1. God is a good God. He loves us and wants to bless us, to redeem us, and to work miracles. Psalm 77:14 says, “You are the God who performs miracles!” God’s normal way of working is through miracles.
2. God wants to bring a miracle to birth in your life! Some laugh at the idea of the possibility of miracles. They argue that miracles are a violation of natural laws, and therefore unreasonable to believe in.
3. Belief in miracles is easy -- if you believe that God exists and that He created the universe. If there’s a God who intervenes in history, then the Flood of Noah, the parting of the Red Sea, the virgin birth, Peter walking on water, feeding 5,000 people with a boy’s lunch, and the other biblical miracles, become not only possible, but expected.
B. SATAN WANTS TO HINDER GOD’S WORK
1. He’s always attempted to stop God bringing help and deliverance. Think of all those who were barren and then bore a child of destiny later in life: 1). Abram & Sarah – Isaac; 2). Elkanah & Hannah – Samuel; Manoah & wife – Samson; Zechariah & Elizabeth – John the Baptist.
2. There was warfare around Joseph (vision & brother’s betrayal into slavery) and Jacob.
3. Rev. 12 – woman about to give birth to Man-child (Messiah) & the dragon is waiting to devour the child. Herod tried to kill the child Jesus.
4. Pharaoh, around the time of Moses, put to death all the Israelite baby boys, by having them cast into the river. It had been nearly 400 years, the time specified by God to bring Israel out of Egypt (Gen. 15:13-16). So Satan knew a Deliverer would arise and tried to kill Moses before he could gain manhood. But he didn’t succeed.
II. POSITIVE PERSPECTIVES ON WARFARE
A. WARFARE CAN BE A GOOD SIGN
1. The very presence of warfare may be a good sign instead of a bad one, since it indicates that a miracle or deliverance is near.
2. We should be encouraged when warfare/ opposition arises: something good is about to happen, or the devil wouldn’t be fighting so hard to keep us from it.
3. People don’t put up scarecrows unless there’s something valuable they don’t want the birds to have!
4. Remember that between you and your blessing, a hindrance stands. Between you and your promotion, marriage, career, health, your boss etc. a hindrance stands. The enemy whispers empty threats; you will soon die, be sacked, divorced, fail, be demoted, get cancer etc.
5. Just remember that the devil is the father of lies and that when he speaks lies, he’s speaking his native language. So this that whatever he’s saying to you, the opposite is true. So fear not, God says, “There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel!” Num. 23:23, NIV1984.
B. THE BIGGER THE WARFARE THE BIGGER THE BLESSING
1. The bigger the blessing God intends, the greater the warfare that the enemy will wage to stop it. But be encouraged; the Lord of Hosts is with us! The Lion of Judah says that you shall be head and not tail!
2. There is no Testimony without a Test;
There is no Crown without a Cross;
There is no Triumph without a Trial! Praise God!
C. THE EFFORT IN WARFARE IS ALWAYS WORTH IT
1. Our struggles in prayer will be worth it when the blessing comes. Childbirth may be difficult, but the pain seems insignificant when the mother is holding the child!
2. At times it appears as if there doesn’t have to be warfare: Jesus easily drove out the spirits and healed the sick. But when the disciples tried it, with difficult cases, they couldn’t do it. Jesus told the reason, “This kind cometh not out but by prayer and fasting.” The reason Jesus didn’t have to do warfare at the time was because He had done it earlier.
D. DETERMINE TO PERSEVERE
1. If Elijah hadn't prayed, it would never have rained.
If Abram hadn't prayed, Lot would have perished in Sodom.
If Moses hadn't prayed, God would have destroyed Israel.
If the Church hadn't prayed, Peter would have been beheaded.
2. If we don't pray, our loved ones/friends will be lost.
“ “ “ Intercede passionately, they will never get the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
“ “ “ “ , our country will morally degenerate and end in terrible calamity, war, and slavery.
3. Make up your mind to persevere, to pray & fight for God’s best, so that the blessings will flow!
III. FORMS OF WARFARE
A. PRAYER AS WARFARE
1. Much could be said about prayer as warfare. Many books have been written about it. In part, we battle in prayer to CONQUER OUR OWN WILLS – like Jesus in Gethsemane.
2. At other times we seem to STRIVE WITH GOD for things, like Abraham for Lot (Gen. 18:16-33); or Jacob wrestling with God for his family’s salvation and permanent blessings, at the Jabbok (Gen. 32:24). Or Moses standing in the breach between God and Israel (Ps. 106:23). In these moments it seems like the contest is to get God to grant our request.
3. At other times OUR OPPONENT IS SATAN. We intercede before God against Him. We cast him out; we bind him & loose his captives.
B. FASTING AS WARFARE
1. DECREASE OF OLD LIFE, INCREASE OF NEW. John the Baptist famously said, “I must decrease and He must increase” John 3:30. Fasting causes the new nature/ Life in Jesus Christ to displace the old sinful nature.
2. The famous writer on prayer, O. Hallesby, spoke of how fasting brings more power to prayer. "We might compare fasting with the transmission of electrical power. The greater the volume of power to be transmitted, the stronger the connection with the power house must be; that is, the larger the cable must be. Fasting helps to give us that inner sense of spiritual penetration….”
3. Isa. 58:4 says, “You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” There IS a way to fast that amplifies our voices into heavenly places. “If we know that He hears us, we know we will receive what we ask of Him” 1 John 5:15.
C. PRAISE AS WARFARE
1. Jehoshaphat had praisers go out before the army when they faced an overwhelming enemy. The Bible says that as soon as they began to praise God that He set ambushes against their enemies, and they all turned on each other & killed each other to the last man!
2. Then there was Paul & Silas who praised in the Philippian jail and God sent an earthquake to open the doors and their chains all fell off. And the jailor and his family got saved. Such is the power of praise!
D. OBEDIENCE AS WARFARE
1. Obedience is a form of warfare, especially in the face of opposition. The three Hebrews boldly stood for God and were delivered from the fire.
2. Daniel boldly stood for God and was delivered from the hungry lions. “...the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those that obey Him” Acts 5:32.
E. METHODS TO RESIST
1. Plead the blood of Christ (Passover -- no demon can cross), Revelations 12:11.
2. Use the Word of God to combat the devil's deceits and temptations -- Matthew 4:4.
3. Know your Position/Authority -- Power of the Name of Jesus -> Luke 10:17.
4. Bind the enemy’s work (loose the bands that bind) Matthew 18:18.
5. Pull down strongholds -- 2 Corinthians 10:4.
6. Pray a hedge of thorns around your loved ones -- Hosea 2:6.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: KNOWING YOUR AUTHORITY
1. When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished.
2. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.
3. “Excuse me,” Governor Herter said, “do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?” “Sorry,” the woman told him. “I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person.”
4. “But I’m starved,” the governor said. “Sorry,” the woman said again. “Only one to a customer.”
5. Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. “Do you know who I am?” he said. “I am the governor of this state.”
6. “Do you know who I am?” the woman said. “I’m the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister.” Bits & Pieces, 5/28/92, pp. 5-6
B. THE CALL
1. Do you know your authority? You have power over the enemy! Why don’t you lay claim to what’s yours in Christ!
2. How many of you have been in a battle lately? “God is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” Heb. 11:6.
3. If you have a need in your life, please stand. How many need forgiveness? You stand too. PRAYER FOR POWER & NEEDS TO BE MET, IN JESUS’ NAME!
