Stand

Sermon for 10/4/2009

Ephesians 6:10-14 STAND

Introduction:

Play Susan Ashton’s Song “Stand”

WBTU:

Read Ephesians 6:10-14

The word Stand is used 4 times.

Thesis: May we stand firm with this strategy best described from an acrostic of the word STAND

For instances:

S= See Satan’s schemes

A. (Gen 3:1 NIV) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, ’You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?"

B. Temptation questions God’s commands. “Did God really say?”

C. We need to know God’s commands. The devil is a master of twisting Scripture. We see when the devil tempts Jesus, at one point, the devil quoted Scripture to Jesus.

D. Even if we know the Scriptures, many times it is easy to rationalize our way out of them. “Well, when God gave that command he didn’t know about my situation.”

E. Situation ethics, moral relativism, postmodernism, teaches that there are no absolutes. Take for instance, adultery. The Bible says that adultery is wrong and not good. Let’s say that a lady is not loved at home. Her husband is a workaholic and when he is home he is distant and does not communicate. This lady gets lonely and desires some affection. We see the temptation is there to go out and have an affair. Some people today would blame the husband for the problems in the marriage. He did not make it easy on her, but still is it alright for her to go and have an affair. No, it is wrong.

F. Take for instance something not so black and white- gluttony. (Mat 4:2 NIV) After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Mat 4:3 NIV) The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."(Mat 4:4 NIV) Jesus answered, "It is written: ’Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’"

G. (Phil 3:19 NIV) Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

I. Temptation isn’t just some desire, but rather Satan’s scheme to get us to fall.

J. Take captive those thoughts that lead to sin. (2 Cor 10:5 NIV) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

T= Tell yourself the truth

A. (Gen 3:2 NIV) The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, (Gen 3:3 NIV) but God did say, ’You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’"

B. Did God say not to touch it? No. (Gen 2:16 NIV) And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;(Gen 2:17 NIV) but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

C. Eve overstated God’s directions. Some people overstate God’s directions on dress. The Bible says to dress modestly. Some people like to give what the Lord means by that (no pants for women, no muscle shirts for men)

D. Satan used this to his advantage. “Eve is that reasonable.” God says not to have premarital sex, Satan says, “Is that reasonable?” God says not to give into bitterness, Satan says, “Is that reasonable?” Satan wants us to think that God’s commands are extreme. We cannot obey them.

D. On this issue of premarital sex, does this mean that we cannot show any kind of affection toward members of the opposite sex? No, but we better watch ourselves. (Eph 5:3 NIV) But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.

E. On the issue of bitterness, there will be times we will get angry and upset. However, don’t let it turn into bitterness. (Heb 12:15 NIV) See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

F. (1 John 5:3 NIV) This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome

A= Analyze your thinking

A. (Gen 3:4 NIV) “You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. (Gen 3:5 NIV) "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

B. Satan lied. This is what he does. He even suggested that God was actually withholding something good from them- the knowledge of good and evil.