Reeled In Series

HOOKED

Week 3 “Reeled In”

July 16 2017

Pastor Timothy Porter

Text: James 1:12-20 Luke 4:13

INTRODUCTION: Today I’m going to talk about fishing again. Fishing is a popular subject in the Bible. Maybe that’s why I like to fish. I always tell people fishing is a biblical sport. I’ve been fishing for a long time, and I have had the opportunity to even be on some outdoor shows. I know it’s hard to believe, but I have. Back in the late 90s I lived on the coast and made alot if new friends. I was turned on to saltwater fly fishing and fly tying. Now, not just any fly fishing but fly fishing for sharks!

I want you to check out a trip that I was not fortunate enough to go on. I found the footage this week. Check it out.

<Shark fishing video plays.>

Well, what if I told you that someone’s trying to catch you? What if I told you that someone is tying a fly just for you. The fly is individualized, it’s customized, and the fly will be presented to you over and over. Then, what if I told you that this fisherman wants to catch you, to reel you in, to drag you into the boat. Some of you are like, “Come on, man. You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s a stretch. Someone is fishing for me?” Well, the answer is a resounding yes. Because as you look at the Scriptures you see Jesus was all about fishing. As I said earlier, Jesus fished and he said once we become followers we’re to fish. Jesus fishes for you and me. We have a choice either to take the bait, to get hooked.

Contrary to what you believe, the devil, that’s right, the devil also is fishing. He wants to keep you and me from discovering this incredible purpose and abudant life, this amazing plan that God has for our lives. If we could see the agenda that God has for us we wouldn’t believe it. We would be like, “Are you kidding me? It’s that amazing? It’s that awesome?” That’s the kind of plan that God has.

So the enemy wants to keep us from God’s purpose. How does he do that? Through temptation, through fishing. In fact, the whole word, the whole concept of being tempted, of being enticed, is a fisherman’s term.

The picture behind the phraseology in the book of James, for example. James 1, in the original language the term is exelkomenos. It means literally to lure a fish from cover, to trap a fish.

So yes, Jesus is the master caster, and I would say Satan is the caster of disaster. Jesus wants to move us from death to life. The devil wants to move us from life to death. That’s his agenda.

Today I want to help you avoid the hook of Temptation and being Reeled In by the devil.

Now you might be going, “Tim, come on man. Are you telling me that you believe, in a dark, personal, sinister force called the devil?

Yes.

All you have to do is look around and see or world is insane. Am I the only one? No. Look at the racism, look at the violence. [What happened in Gville and GP Speedway] How do you explain porn, for being a $97 billion industry? How do you explain child abuse? How do you explain the marital mayhem and the fragmented families?

How do you explain that?

A damaged chromosome? Your room was painted the wrong color when you were a kid. Your diapers were put on too tight.

No, It’s much deeper than that. There is someone called the enemy and he has customized temptations just for you and for me.

I.] Process of Temptation

Now, what did my friend do when he caught that big lemon shark? He did three things, And this is a three-fold process that we see in temptation. First of all, He tied seductively.

The enemy ties seductively

Explain the fly and how the fly is tied how color matters

The enemy is looking for ways to get us...He is looking for what he can use us

The devil himself is tying a fly for you. Why? Because you matter so much. Why? Because you’re so amazing. Why? Because he knows what’s going to happen as you continue to do what God wants you to do. That’s why you’re feeling temptation. So temptation should tip us off.

It should be like, whoa! I matter that much? I mean, my future is that bright? See, that’s where the devil is stupid. The devil is not omnipresent but he is organized and he has an organized plan to keep us from the best. So it starts with the fly. He ties the fly seductively.