Look Behind The Scenes
Proverbs 2:1-15 Acts 16:16-21 Text Proverbs 1:8-9
We live in a world where things are not what they seem to be. The movie Jurrassic Park has us believing we have seen gigantic dinosaurs roaming on an island in the Atlantic ocean, when in reality we have seen nothing more than some expensive models combined with some computer generated images. Yet the dinosaurs seem so real. I loved the science fiction series the Battlestar Galactica, which was one of the largest space battleships ever built. Yet when I looked behind the scenes, I discovered this powerful ship was really only about 18 inches long. The illusory power of the cameras did all the rest. Something else was determining what I was really seeing.
Even in the life of believers, things are not always what they seem. Suppose two of you went to Montana to preach the gospel and did not know a soul there. How would you feel, if time you entered the city, somebody came running out to the crowd saying, “You better listen to these people, they are servants of Jesus Christ telling you the way to be saved.” Everywhere you went, this person would yell out again and again the same thing. Now if you had not known a thing about this person, and the person had never met you, you might assume, God has sent somebody to be your partner in ministry. But if you look behind the scenes of the word of God, you’d recognize Satan is trying to trap you.
In the Bible, Paul and Silas had a girl following them day after day who was telling people to listen to them, because they were servants of the Most High God. This little girl was the true Cleo of her day. She had made her owners a lot of money by her fortune telling. But the more she pointed out Paul and Silas were from God, the more Paul sensed something was not right. He finally became so troubled inside that when he looked at the girl, he could look behind the scenes and saw a demonic spirit at work in her life. He said, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her.”
At that moment, the spirit left her When the demon left her, so did her ability to tell the future. Before you get excited about some psychic or astrologer, look behind the scene and you will see that all of them who are true, received their power from demonic forces. The Bible teaches about the powers or darkness, and says for us to have nothing to do with them.
When we look back over this summer for the greater Cleveland area, we have to ask did the world go mad. What was behind the drive by shootings. What was behind the story of children dying in fires allegedly set by their mother? What was behind a young man dying for his shoes and a car. How many young people died deaths in which they were just doing the right thing of being young people. What was behind a car going 80 miles an hour in a residential neighborhood, entering the yard where kids where playing, killing some of them almost instantly. I have only touched the tip of the iceberg of the trail of pain and suffering and grief which followed all these incidents. Much of that grief is as painful in the hearts of family members and friends today as it was the day these things happened. Lives mangled and changed forever.
Has the world gone mad? No it has not. Jesus lets us know that if we look behind the scenes, we will see the enemy at work. He spoke of Satan, saying, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. Jesus tells those who were opposed to him in John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
I want you to notice that the devil is the master deceiver. Jesus calls him the father of lies. He can make a lie seem so good. How many of us are guilty of having believed one of them once or twice? But his ultimate aim is not simply our deception, but to actually destroy and kill us whenever possible. Satan hates whatever God Loves and God loves you. Have you ever had an argument over nothing? You and your spouse or your friend was talking and one said one thing, and the other said something else and you’re in an argument, that’s not worth two cents. The enemy has deceived us in his attempt to get to destroy us.
I’m not saying every argument is from Satan, but what I am saying is your home can come under Satanic attack and if you don’t recognize it, you will fight the wrong person to try to resolve it. The only way to truly fight his attack, is to go immediately to God in prayer. Ask the Lord, “Lord show me how I’m contributing to this situation, and what do I need to do to let your Holy Spirit work in me.”
All of the tragedies we saw this summer can be traced back to someone allowing Satan to have his way in their lives. The Book of Proverbs, has some direction we need for our lives if we are to destroy the lies of Satan in their earliest forms. It is always easier to say no to Satan at the front end, that it is to get up and walk away from him after you’ve been in his company.
Let’s look at Proverbs1:10, “My son if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.” This verse is telling us that somebody is going to come to us with something that sounds real good. The Hebrew word translated entice can also be translated to flatter. Somebody tells you how fine you look, how tight you are. How wonderful you are. They let you know “you really are tough”, or “you really are all that.” This verse is saying, do not let their words go to your head. This word entice can also be translated as deceive. Now we know who the father of deception is. Satan comes through people we might want to hang with to be on the inside or in the group.
This is what happened with the BB gun tragedy. Somebody thought, “wouldn’t it be funny to imitate some drive by shootings that have taken place only with a bb gun.” We will scare the life out of some people when they see the gun. Won’t it be funny. They were enticed by the opportunity to laugh at the fear of others. They had no idea, that Satan was using them not only to destroy the life of an innocent child, but to destroy their own lives as well. What was the chance of a BB killing someone? Very Very Very small.
But a bb has a good choice of putting our your eye and causing you some pain. So their little prank had some cost involved even without the plan of death. You see, if either of the guys had of said no, this event would not have happened. God has you where He has you to say NO. Your No. may be saving someone’s life including your own. Don’t go along with some foolish prank just to try to show off. That child’s parents will carry his loss for the rest of their lives. Your own family will ache as you spend time in jail.
How often have we been enticed or seduced to just try something once, and said no, but kept on listening to the people talk to us. Part of our downfall is that we do not know how to run quick enough. When people see hesitation on our part, they know they are making ground. In verse 11-12 we find If they say, "Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood, let’s waylay some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
Now the promise in this verse is to go out and kill someone or to go out and do wrong and to have a good time doing it. The catch is, that in the end, they will swallow them alive like the grave. In other words, they are saying we will cover our tracks so well, people will never ever know anything happened. There’s just no way we could ever get caught This again is one of Satan’s greatest lies. You need to look behind the scene. How do you know you won’t get caught. How do you know you’re not already on somebody’s surveillance camera. How do you know there were no witnesses. How do you know you didn’t pick up Aids. How do you know you’re not already pregnant
How do you know one of your partners in this wrong doing is not going to tell on you? An affair loses its appeal when the other person decides to inform your spouse. That child that’s being sexually abused is one day going to have the courage to come forward and tell what’s going on. Proverbs 3:7 says “Do not be wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord and shun evil.” Whenever we choose to do wrong, before we do it, we need to ask the question, “Is this going to be worth it when everyone discovers what I have done.” No one who plans to do evil, plans to have it publicized in the Plain Dealer, but many times it happens the very next day. I’ve often said, “If we could only read tomorrow’s newspaper today, a whole lot of us would choose to make some different decisions today.
What’s the catch that we are willing to risk so much for so little. Verse 13 comes up with the promise. Prov 1:13-14 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"--. Far too often we are too eager to try to get something for nothing. If you come with us, there will not only be no consequences, but with all the money we are going to get, there will be plenty to go around.
This is the promise of the drug dealers to us. Come and sell drugs and watch your possessions increase. For the love of quick money we are willing to risk insurance fraud, steal from family members and use deception to steal from the companies we work for. Once again when you look behind the scene, you find the hand of Satan busily at work. He comes with a promise of financial freedom, but it’s a deception with a hook in it. The word of God tells us that wealth that endures comes from serving the Lord and honoring the Lord with our wealth.
Verse 15 & 16 tells us to not go along with these false promises of people promising us good times and do not even walk on the same path with them. We do not want to end up where they are going. Verse 17 tells us How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! This verse is telling us even the birds are smart enough to avoid being captured once they look behind the scenes. If they see the net being laid out to catch them, you can forget about catching any of them. It does not matter how good you try to make it appear, those birds are not coming your way.
The Bible is telling us, surely we ought to be smarter than birds. When we are smart enough to think through the consequences, we recognize that what looks really great, is nothing more than a trap. Look at verse 19, “these men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves.” Now think back to the two individuals who decided to rob an innocent man. As they were planning this, never in their wildest dreams did one plan to shoot and kill the other one, and the one who was shot certainly did not know he was planning on his own death sentence. Neither did the shooter expect to be arrested for a robbery, attempted murder and murder. Jesus said, “Satan comes to steal, to kill and to destroy.” That is the trap Satan used here. It’s the same trap he used when the person robbed the young man of his sneakers, killed him, and left a trail of destruction in people’s lives including his own.
Verse 19 tells us Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it. This verse is telling us there is always a price to pay when we get something that does not belong to us. It does not matter how glamorous it looks or how much money we can hold into our hands, whatever it is, it will eat away at our very lives. We will not get all that we had imagined, and we will get a whole lot more than what we had bargained for in the beginning. Saints we need to look behind the scenes and see, where is this desire I have coming from.
This passage is encouraging us to check carefully the path we are on. If we stay on it, will it bring us closer to God or not. It encourages us to not walk with the wrong crowd. If we walk with the wrong crowd, we will eventually end up doing the wrong things. Do not hang around with people who are not heading in the same direction you want to go with your life. It is better to walk by yourself and reach your goal, than to hang with others and miss out on your potential. You’ve got to much at stake, to risk it all on a foolish prank. We need to be in the presence of other believers who are committed to serving God as much as possible. If you’re able and you’re not active in church and bible study, chances are you’re backsliding.
This passage encourages us to not play with temptation, because temptation always leads to a trap. There is nothing we can do to guarantee our tracks will be forever covered. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the good and the evil. God can expose our sin at anytime to humble us and to get us back on the right course. The passage also lets us know, when we disobey God by harming others, eventually we will pay a price for our actions. The very thing we went after, will be the source of our downfall.
Jesus offers an alternative to the quick get rich or get happy schemes of the devil. He said that I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. When it comes to receiving money, the word of God says in Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. That’s so different than the promise that ill gotten gains takes way the lives of those who get it.
Jesus is up front and honest with us about life and its eventual end. He asks us the question, what does it profit a person to gain the riches of the world for a short time and end up spending eternity in hell. It’s not a very good deal. My friends as we go through life this week and encounter temptation, let’s be willing to look behind the scenes that we might avoid the traps which have been laid, and may discover God’s plan for our lives for this week. True life is only found in living a life dedicated to Jesus Christ.
9. Jesus—Satan To Steal, Kill & Destroy
10. Same Trap Used Again—Sneakers
Prov 1:19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
11. Always A Pride To Pay—Whatever It Is
12. It Eats Away—More Than Our Bargain
13. What’s Behind Our Desire
H. The Purpose Of This Passage
1. Check The Path We Are On—Where It Leads
2. Examine The Crowd We Choose
3. Those Around Us Determine How Far We Go
4. Walk With Those With Similar Goals
5. Avoid Foolish Pranks
6. Spend Time With God’s People
7. Don’t Play With Temptation
8. No Such Thing As Hidden Sin
9. God Can Expose To Humble Us An Bring Us
10. That We Seek--Downfall
11. Hurt Others—Pay A Price For Many
I. Jesus Provides An Alternative
1. Quick Get Rich, Get Happy Schemes
2. Life And More Abundantly
Prov 10:22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.
3. Different From Ill Gotten Gain
4. Jesus Up Front & Honest—What Does It Profit
5. Be Willing To Look Behind The Scenes For The
Trap
6. Choose God’s Plan For You This Week.
Sermon Outline Pastor Rick 9/2/2001
“Look Behind The Scenes”
Proverbs 2:1-15 Acts 16:16-21 Text Prov. 1:8-19
A. Living In A World Of Make Believe
1. The Power Of Jurassic Park & Dinosaurs
2. Dinosaurs, Islands, Models & Computers
3. Gigantic Ship—Battlestar Galactica—18
4. Something Else Determined My View
B. Spiritual Realm-Not All What It Appears
1. Missionaries To Montana—A Free Messenger
2. Listen---They’re Telling The Truth To Be Saved
3. Partner In Ministry ? Trap From Satan
4. Paul & Silas—Meet The Real Cleo Of The Time
5. More Testimony-More Uneasiness For Paul
6. In The Name Of Jesus Christ—Come Out
7. Demon— Psychics, Astrolgers—Darkness
C. A Summer Gone Mad What Happened
1. Drive By Shootings, Kids In Fire, Death & Shoes
2. 80 MPH, Kids Being Kids. Tip Of Iceberg
3. Trail Of Grief, Pain Suffering, Changed Forever
D. Jesus Points To The Source Of Pain & Agony
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
1. Jesus Identifies The Master Deceiver
2. Make Lies Seem Great—Any Deceived By Them
3. Ultimate Aim Not Deception But Destruction
4. Hates All God Loves—God Loves You
5. Argument About Nothing- Satan Family Attack
6. To Fight—Pray “Lord Show Me How I Am….
E. All Summer Tragedies Traced Back To Vessels
1. Proverbs—Direction For Defeating The Enemy
2. Easier To Say No Up Front, Than After A While
Prov 1:10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
3. If Somebody Comes---And It’s Really Good
4. Hebrew—Entice-Flatter—
5. How Fine, How Tight, How Wonderful, Tough
6. Don’t Let It Go To Your Head
7. Hebrew—Deceive-- Father Of Deception
8. Start Of BB Gun Incident—With A Thought
9. Cheap Imitation—Thrill Of Fear—No Idea
10. Chances Of Death Chances Of Injury
11. Prank & Death—If Somebody Said NO
12. God Places You There To Say NO
13. Remember The Pain That Will Go On
14. No Once But Kept Listening—Don’t Hesitate
F. Run At Your Earliest Opportunity
Prov 1:11-12 If they say, "Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood, let’s waylay some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
1. Promise To Kill-Do Wrong—Good Time
2. Catch—We Will Cover Our Track To Well
3. Satan’s Lie—Can’t Get Caught Sure Thing
4. How Do You Know For Sure
5. Surveillance, Witness, AIDS, Pregnant
6. Deal Striking, Affair Exposed, Child Abuse
Prov 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
7. Ask Will It Be Worth It When I’m Caught
8. Read Tomorrow’s Plain Dealer Today
9. Why Risk So Much For So Little
Prov 1:13-14 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"—
10. Promise Of The Drug Dealer—Quick, Quick
11. Love Of Money, Insurance, Family, Jobs
12. Satan –Financial Freedom- With A Hook
13. Honor The Lord With Wealth
G. Don’t Go Along—Don’t Even Walk
1. Verses 15 & 16 Keep Away , Don’t Set Foot
2. Don’t End Up Where They Are Going
Prov 1:17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
3. Birds Look Behind The Scenes & Avoid
4. Be Smarter Thank Birds—Consequences
5. Temptation Is A Big Trap
Prov 1:18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
6. Two Robbers Robbing Innocent Man
7. Planning Friend’s Death, Own Death
8. Robbery, Attempted Murder, Murder
