INTRO:
1. Satan is the master illusionist!
· Before David Copperfield, before David Blaine, before Criss Angel, there was Lucifer!
· Illusionists major in the art of optical illusion.
· They divert your attention away from what’s really happening, getting you distracted, so they can implement their “smoke and mirrors” tricks and when you look back at what you thought was real, it appears to be something different altogether!
2. Satan’s specialties
· Making something that’s not real appear real!
· Making you think something is there that is not really there!
· Taking a real situation and thru falsehood and deception, making it appear to be something it’s really not.
3. Satan’s appearances
· First appears in the book of Genesis as a serpent,
· By the time we read Peter’s writings, he appears as a roaring lion,
· By the end of the Bible he has become a dragon!
4. How did this happen?
· Lamentations 1:9b - O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.
· Magnify means to cause to appear greater or seem more important...exaggerate!
5. Satan has no real power over the child of God only false illusions
· The main weapon in the enemy’s arsenal is deception.
· Satan deals in FEAR....False.....Evidence.....Appearing.....Real!
6. The cross has taken the power from Satan
· Colossians 2:15 - And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
· Romans 6:14 - For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
· DOMINION – to exercise lordship over, to have control over.
· Matthew 6:13 - And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
7. If we serve God, we have the dominion and power over sin, whether we use it or not!
· Luke 10:19 - Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
· Satan has no power over us, other than what we grant him!
· He has no authority over us, other than what we surrender to him!
· He has no way to hurt us, or destroy us, but his goal is to make us destroy ourselves!
8. The Enemies Goal
· Make something false seem like something real
· Make you act on a false assumption
· Make you lose your hope
· Make you throw your dreams away
· Make you forget your vision
· Make you doubt God’s promises
· Ultimately destroy your life
BODY:
A. Jacob In Our Passage
1. Joseph’s brothers had
· Thrown him in a pit
· Sold him into slavery
· Essentially rid themselves of the “problem”
2. But, one problem remains; what are they going to tell their father?
· Notice their tactics
· They dip their brother’s distinctive coat into the blood of an animal
· They bring it back to their dad, and notice what they said:
· “Here is a coat we found, we don’t know if it’s your son’s or not, only you know!”
3. Notice the power of optical illusion
· It is my son’s coat – Recognition
· An evil beast hath devoured him – Explanation
· Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces - Conclusion
4. But, if someone could have gotten to Jacob they would have told him,
· JACOB, IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!
· Your promise is not dead, it’s in the process of being fulfilled
· Your dream is not over, it’s just beginning!
B. Jesus called Peter out of the boat to walk on the water with him.
1. And, as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was alright!
2. But, something distracted him:
3. And, when his focus was turned from the Master of the storm to the storm itself, he began to sink!
4. STOP WATCHING THE WIND, AND GET YOUR EYES BACK ON JESUS!
C. Elisha had been tracked down by the Syrian King
1. Elisha was sleeping peacefully
2. His servant was a basket case – Carnal perspective
15And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
3. Elisha said – Kingdom perspective
“Son, what you’re seeing is an optical illusion!
The enemy has distracted you with some slight of hand, and you’re seeing some false evidence!
Look a bit closer, and you’ll see what’s really happening!
4. We’re not going to die, we’re going to live! We’re not going down in defeat, we’re walking out in victory!
· IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!
D. David came to the valley of Elah one day to bring food to his brothers.
1. When David arrives on the sceneNow,
· Goliath had been spitting out threats for 40 days
· 40 days Saul and his might warriors focus on the “giant”
2. The mighty army
· Could never get around his threats
· His size
· His booming voice
· They could not believe the promise of God
3. Focus, Hope, Faith, Courage....all Stopped
4. Enter a 17 year old boy who is too full of the Spirit of God
· He never even calls him a Giant
· “This is just an optical illusion, I will not look at the uncircumcised Philistine in the valley, I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help!
· Your problem, Saul and my dear brother, YOU’RE NOT LOOKING HIGH ENOUGH!
CONCLUSION
It’s the job of the enemy to get us to focus on the problems, the current circumstances:
· the lack of money in the bank right now,
· the lack of spiritual hunger on the behalf of our families right now
· the fact that our children are lost right now
· the fact that our bodies are sick right now
· the fact that we have no food in the pantry right now
· the marriage that looks like its over
· the hope that is gone
But, I came to tell someone today, I’m praying that God will OPEN YOUR EYES in the spirit today!
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW IS NOT WHAT IT REALLY IS!
Whose report will you believe?
The Devil’s report says that you’re sick, and there’s no way that you’ll ever recover, but the report of the Lord says:
Isaiah 53:5
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
The Devil’s report says that you’re broke, and God has forsaken you, you’re going to lose everything!
But, the report of the Lord says:
Psalm 37:25
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
The Devil’s report says that you’re bound by your addiction, and you’ll never be free, but the report of the Lord says:
Romans 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!
