Recovering Stolen Property

Recovering Stolen Property

1 Samuel 30:1-8

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yzYA8OcS3Q

There is something that is desperately needed within the church and within our lives, and that is our need to recover what has been stolen.

Question, how many of have been robbed or have had something stolen? I doubt there is a single person who hasn’t.

When my daughter, Danielle, was young we had to rush her to the hospital. In the process we didn’t take time to lock the house. When we finally made it back home, someone came in and stole some of our stuff. Fortunately, most could be replaced, and while we felt violated, and hated the loss and inconvenience, we could still go on with our lives

Yet, there’s another kind of theft that is going on in our lives, and in the lives of our loved ones that goes almost without detection, and its more than an inconvenience, it can be life changing.

The fact that it mostly goes undetected reveals just how good this thief is.

Further, the theft going on is far more serious than material possessions, no matter how precious they may be. What is a family heir loom compared to a soul, a dream, our futures, or our faith.

Who’s this thief? It’s Satan. Look at Jesus’s description of him as he compares Himself as being that Good Shepherd.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 NKJV)

Satan is the master thief, but he isn’t interested in our material possessions. Satan doesn’t want, nor does he need our stuff. He’s a spirit being. Yes, he allows others to steal them, but that’s so he can rip us off spiritually.

You see, Satan knows that all our stuff is going to burn in the end. Instead, he is after our spiritual treasures, which have eternal consequences. You see, if Satan can get our spiritual treasures, then he can get our hearts as well.

Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20 NKJV)

And then Jesus ends by saying, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21 NKJV)

These spiritual treasures have value with God and have eternal significance, that is why Satan is interested in stealing them. But according to Jesus that is only the beginning.

Notice something about the progression that Jesus uses when describing Satan’s theft. Satan begins with petty larceny, with the theft, but once Satan manages to steal it, he then moves on to the actual kill, and finally total destruction.

So, it’s important that we begin the recovery process as soon as possible. And just as a side note, when we take the overall spiritual temperature of today’s church, if we don’t start that recovery soon, we’ll end up presiding over more spiritual funerals than spiritual births.

What are some of these areas of theft that we need to look at.

Purpose for Life

Why are we here? What has God created us for?

At one time we had that stirring deep inside, that dream, and purpose God placed within us, but then discouragement set in. Maybe someone let us down, or something went sour at church, or maybe we were unfairly criticized, and we end up wondering to ourselves what ever happened to all that inspiration we once had.

Paul addressed such a theft occurring in Timothy’s life, and what Timothy had to do.

“I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7 NKJV)

Timothy was in danger of having his calling, purpose, and gifting stolen. He was allowing Satan to steal it through fear, telling him he was too young and not qualified. So, Paul had to remind him to stir up the gift, to begin the recovery process of what Satan was stealing.

Unfortunately, instead of going after Satan to recover our purpose and potential, along with the gifts and callings giving to us by God, we turn to alternatives that Satan himself suggests.

We turn to drugs and alcohol to numb ourselves so that we don’t have to think about what we lost, or drown ourselves in our sorrows over the losses.

We turn to work and achievements, pleasures, and materialism to cover and fill the void of such losses.