WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN
SERMON TITLE: NO SATAN....NO SIN
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18
TEXT VERSE: Daniel 1:1-9 “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. (2) And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. (3) And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; (4) Children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. (5) And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourshing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. (6) Now among these were the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. (7) Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. (8) But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. (9) Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.”
There’s a lot of things that went on in the book of Daniel. I want to remind you once again how these people came and they besieged Jerusalem. They took some of the Christians there captive and they took them back to the king’s house and had them there before the king’s god and gave them the king’s meat and wine. A lot of Christians today are very easily persuaded by other people and sinners. I was thinking of the word values and a lot of Christians don’t hold the values that they used to. Used to when a sinner became a child of God, it meant something to them and everything in their life had a meaning to it. But people don’t value their Christian lives like they used to. If you had a piece of fine gold you’d put it up in a place where nobody else could get it and you’d cherish it and bring it out every once in a while to show it off and we ought to be that way about our Christianity. We ought to want to show it off. We ought to be proud of what God’s done for us. I want you to know that Daniel was this kind of man. He had values. You can read later that they were going to lock up everybody that prayed and called on the God of heaven and the king sent out a decree but when Daniel got word of it, the first thing he did was kneel down on his knees and opened up the windows to his house toward Jerusalem and Daniel began to pray. I’m glad that what the world says, can never change what God says.
They brought Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego captive and brought them out of the church and brought them over to the king’s house,and gave them of the king’s meat,and the king’s wine and what excites me about that is the fact that they can take you out of the church; but if you’re a true Christian they can never take the church out of you. They thought they’d get them out of God’s house and put them in the king’s house and they’ll start living like I want them to live and doing what I want them to do and Daniel said I have news for you....I’m not going to defile myself with the king’s meat or the king’s wine or the king’s god. I’m serving a God that’s King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s. Daniel knew what he had and he knew what he had on the inside. Thank God nothing could change that. Sometimes the world wants to take us out of the church. The devil wants to just tare us down but I’m glad God’s a builder. What he builds, satan can’t destroy.
Because Daniel did not want to defile himself look what happened in verse 9....God brought Daniel into favor with the prince of the eunuchs. God was watching over him. We need some Christians that will stand up for God and quit falling down every time the devil comes along.
You say what does defile mean? I looked it up in Webster’s Dictionary and it says to make filthy.
Here’s something I think will help you in Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” I came to realize this week that often times when we don’t make the mark that we feel like God wants us to, we feel like we’ve failed God. Often times we feel like if we get a little bit of sin in our life that we’ve really failed God or that we have to go all the way back and start all over again. You ever felt like that? You say, I’ve messed up and I’m a child of God. Why did I do that? Now I have to start all over. You don’t have to start all over. Christ paid for your sins on the cross of Calvary. All we have to do is ask God to forgive us. And he’ll forgive us. Here’s what blesses my heart. The Bible says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He said I came not to call the righteous but sinners unto repentance. We started out in the filthy condition. And Christ died for us while we were in that condition. When we’re at that point, don’t you think he wants us to be better? He wants us to do better and Satan wants to bring us down. The only reason why we’re anything is by His Saving Grace.
Mark 7:15 says “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” Let me give you an illustration of what I’m talking about. If you were to come to some gambling casino and you saw me walking out...I know what the first thing is that you would think. The old devil would tell you that you’re pastor is a gambler. But just because I was in a casino, it doesn’t make me a gambler. I might have stopped in there to use the restroom or to have witnessed to somebody. Just being around somebody that gambles, doesn’t make me a gambler. But if you come in that casino and you see me sitting there pulling the slot handles and feeding my families money to it...you can mark it down in your book...I’m in sin and I’m a gambler. You know why? Because it came out of me. It wasn’t what was around me. You can drive down the road and see me coming out of a liquor store and it don’t mean I’m an alcoholic. The Bible says that when lust hath conceived it brings forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death. Now if you see me coming out sipping on a long neck Budweiser....you can mark it in your book that I’m an alcoholic. There’s some Christians that say it’s okay to drink. I haven’t ever found that in the Bible. You better read the book of Proverbs. A preacher said once that if it takes ten beers to make you drunk then you’re one tenth drunk. It’ll not do your mind any good or your heart any good. Stay away from those earthly things and don’t defile your body. Enjoy yourself in what God has.
First Corinthians 3:17 “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are?” A lot of Christians don’t think we can be holy. They think because we’re living in these earthly bodies and living around these sin sick people and in this sin sick world...there’s no way they can be a good Christian. We need to say no to satan and say no to sin. The Bible says that sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under the blood. We’re under God’s grace and God’s grace is sufficient and we can defeat satan and sin. All we have to do is say NO. They have these commercials on for our children that says...”say no to drugs. And to cigarettes and alcohol.” You say no to satan and say no to sin and you won’t have to worry about those other things. Say No to satan and say YES to Jesus. Say I’m a child of God and I don’t have to do these things.
My wife used to get onto me years ago because somebody would ask me to do something and I never could tell them no. I’d have an appointment on a certain date and then someone would ask me to do something for them at that appointed time and I couldn’t say no. After studying God’s word and praying about it, I learned that sometimes you just have to say no.
Let me share a couple of scriptures real quick that blessed my heart. Proverbs 4:14-15 “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” If you hang around sin too long it will get right there where you’re at. If you give the devil and inch, he will take a mile from you. You have to learn to say no. If you see trouble coming, head it off. If you’re driving a tractor trailer and you see a bridge out ahead of you...you’re not going to put the metal to the petal and try to jump it. You’re going to slam on your brakes. Sometimes as Christians we need to do the same thing. Sometimes we need to just stop and say, is this what the devil wants or is this what God wants? The Bible says to try the spirits to see if they are of God. A lot of Christians don’t do that. They’ll get this inner emotional feeling and they’ll think it’s Christ speaking to them. If it isn’t that still small voice that has a little spirit to it...it’s not God talking to you.
Psalms 1:1 “Blessed is the man that WALKeth not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor STANDeth in the way of sinners, nor SITteth in the seat of the scornful.” He said don’t you walk with them. Don’t you stand with them and don’t you sit with them. You get around them for too long and they’ll take you over. Sin wants to tare you down. You start learning to say no to Satan and sin and God will pour out some blessings on you.
In Malachi 3:10 it says “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Sometimes to get them we have to say, “No Satan, no Sin.”
What did James say ? “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” You know what that means? It means tell him NO. What did Jesus do when he was there in the wilderness all alone with the devil? He resited...He resisted....He resisted. A preacher preached a message one time entitled: Tying three knots in the devils tail from that that scripture. You tie three knots in his tail and you tell him NO, NO, NO and he’ll flee from you. Christian values just aren’t what they used to be. We were watching a program the other night about the late Princess Diana and her life. There was a lot of trouble there in that marriage. But the whole time all this trouble was going on they still dressed like they were supposed to. They still lived where they were supposed to live and they still looked like they were supposed to look. Just because you have trouble in your life it does not mean that you drop your values as a Christian. Just because you have trouble in your life it does not mean that you should take off your robe of righteousness and put on a robe of sin. We’re going to have troubles. He’s after God’s people. The more trouble we have, the more we ought to praise God. Paul said when I am weak, then am I strong.
They took Paul and Silas out of the church one time and they cast them into the inner prison. With a prison guard there to watch them. You could take them out of the church but you couldn’t take the church out of them. The Bible says that at midnight Paul and Silas began to pray. Just because they were in prison it did not make them prisoners. At midnight they prayed and sang praises unto God. A lot of Christians, if they were in prison today would be weeping and sobbing but Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the Bible says the prisoners heard them. Then suddenly there was a great earth quake and the foundation of the prison shook. Imagine this....Two boys praying and praising God and the prisoners heard them (keep in mind where the jail keeper was. He was in there with them and he was sleeping) There was an earth quake and the foundation shook and then all the prison doors swung open and if you’ve ever been to a prison and seen all those doors swing open you’d know it makes a lot of noise. I can imagine all the clanging and banging. And then it said all the men tied up in chains and shackles, they fell from their feet. That made quite a noise too. Then the Bible says that after all that the jail keeper woke up. That tells you right there that he was lost. If he wasn’t he would of heard all that noise. That’s the way a lot of Christians are. God’s doing some great things and they don’t even know it because they are asleep. The jail keeper ran in there and he was going to kill himself because he thought all the prisoners had escaped and he knew the king would kill him if he found out so was just going to do it himself. But Paul said no, don’t you do that because we’re all still here, The jail keeper said what must I do to be saved? They said just believe in God and accept him in your heart and you shall be saved. The Bible said he got saved and his whole family. You know why? Because two boys even though they were taken out of the church...they couldn’t take the church out of them. They were in that prison and they had trouble in their life and yet they prayed and praised God. It made a difference and they got to see an old boy saved. I told you that story so you’d know that Paul and Silas told the old devil NO. They thought because they had them locked up that they wouldn’t or couldn’t do any preaching or praying and they figured wrong. That’s when they did it most was in their darkest hour. Don’t you know...it don’t say this in the Bible but I can just see that king coming over there and finding the prison off it’s foundations and all the doors wide open and nobody there...not even the jail keeper and he saying....my god what happened? It’ll wake you up. We ought to be awake to what God’s trying to do in our lives.
Proverbs 1: 10 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.”
Hebrews 11:24-25 “By faith Moses when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” You know what he said? He said NO. When he realized he didn’t belong to the Pharaoh’s family he realized those earthly riches wouldn’t do him any good and he choose rather to suffer affliction than to enjoy pleasures for a season. The pleasures of sin will only last you for a season. A lot of people would have just stayed there with the Pharaoh because they had everything they needed. But there would have come a day when if they didn’t accept Christ they’d be sitting in Hell and saying how did we get down here when we had so many riches up there? Moses knew that and he told the devil NO.
Psalms 84:10 “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” That’s the attitude we need to have tonight. He could have thought...well if I’m not the head guy in charge of God’s house then I’m just going to go out and live like the devil. A lot of Christians have that kind of attitude. If they can’t have it their way they won’t have it any way. We’ve some of them pass through this church. When you’re serving God you have to do things God’s way and not your way.
I want to encourage you tonight to just say NO to satan and to sin.
LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, thank you for this message. It has touched my heart and shown me that I am too weak and that I need to get some strength from you. I want to repent of my sins and begin to tell the devil NO from now on. Help me to keep my armor on and clean that when the devil comes after me I can’t fight him. I have learned tonight through your precious message that if I can say no to satan and to sin that you will bless me beyond measure. I want your blessings. I want you to see me as a humble servant doing your will and not the will of the devil. I realize that after awhile of telling satan no, he’ll flee from me and I’ll be able to be more effective in witnessing to others. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
