Wonderful to see all those who are able to be here tonight.
As we continue our gospel meeting.
I don't know if you've heard the news today or not of goings-on
in the east coast where in excess of 30 individuals lost
their lives and tragic shooting in the school.
Those aren't the only deaths today, of course.
That have happened as a result of Senseless violence every day.
Every day, many individuals lose their lives, because someone
decides to take it. In this city in every city on
this day crimes, senseless crimes.
Violent crimes have been committed, four people were
hurt, things were taken. On this day.
Individuals decided to steal from the company which they
work. On this day.
Individuals have decided to lie. On this day, husbands have
decided to be unfaithful. Why?
Yes, I've decided to be unfaithful individuals, young
and old have decided to be immoral.
On this day. On every day. when we think
about, how many days, the Earth has existed, And compare that to
how many days sin has happened. They're about the same, aren't
they? They're about the same.
We don't know how long it was in the Garden of Eden.
Before Adam and Eve sinned doesn't seem like it was long.
We don't know. How many days there have been
without sin? But it's not very many.
And there are none today. Satan is Alive and Well.
And his evil influence flourishes in far greater ways
than we like to think. This is a sermon that I preached
nearly everywhere I go because I need it.
And at the same time, this is one of those subjects that is
absolutely terrifying to me. This is not a happy sermon, it's
not intended to be, it's intended to be a sermon that
makes me first and hopefully, everyone else that here's stop.
And think about the battle that is going on for our souls.
The relationship between God and Satan fascinating.
And one reason for this Fascination is because of the
two extremes that are represented there, there is no
greater good than God. We know that there's no greater
evil than Satan. We know that God is the giver
and bringer of light. Satan is the Prince of Darkness.
God is the creator. Satan The Destroyer God the
bread of life that nourishes and sustains Satan.
The Devourer likened to a roaring lion seeking a meal.
The contrast is obvious yet that contrast between good and evil
still forms a relationship that is part of our lives.
And I think we need to understand the relationship
between God and Satan. In order for us to be motivated
and better equipped to serve the Lord.
Lord and to avoid Satan snares. God's dealings with, Satan are
very difficult to understand how God could allow Satan to present
himself to Eve in the garden is beyond my understanding.
Yet, he did that. I just don't begin to comprehend
stuff like that. When we think of the
vulnerability of Adam and Eve. It must be something greater
than we ourselves are capable of fathoming.
For all of the things that God has done there.
I mentioned earlier and I'll mention this, several times
throughout the meeting because this is an important concept
that gets lost in religions today, the concept of free will
Now, we choose whether or not to do this or that or the other, we
choose whether or not to serve the Lord, and when the Lord
created mankind, he gave us and he gives us free, will you see
no one ever forces anyone to serve the Lord?
No one ever forces anybody to do that we couldn't do that.
In fact in any given relationship, the only person we
can control is ourselves. and we kind of fool ourselves when we
think we control our children, We really only can control
ourselves and we can only hopefully, positively manipulate
our children. Now, by the, I don't see
manipulation as a bad word. I see that as a good word and I
think it's fine to manipulate somebody as long as you tell
them, that's what you're doing. And I don't see that, that's a
problem at all. And so if I know how somebody
works personality wise and I say, look, I'm going to flatter
you because that's what I need to do, to get you to do
something for me. I think that's fine.
It's cold, hearted manipulation, and that's okay. but, you know,
What about manipulating people to do wrong?
Ever seen anybody do that prey on their vulnerabilities.
Set them up to watch them fall. You know, all of those things
can happen. How could God allow Eve, the
crown jewel of all creation to face Satan alone.
I was told the other night about a TV series that's on right now
on one of the channels that portrays animals in the wild and
how these helpless little infant animals, became the prey for an
animal to carry back to her Young.
Hmm. Ones feeding on the other.
Who's feeding on us? Satan wants to.
He wants to carry God's young to his nest.
God allows that. He allows us to be tested.
He allows us to be tempted. and if he allowed it with Adam and
Eve, what makes us think? We are exempt from that process.
We are not, we are not at all, he allowed it with job.
Job was a wonderful man. And how God could allow Satan to
put job through. So much misery.
Again, beyond my understanding, yet within the concept of free.
Will it becomes understandable but it's still very hard to read
about how God could allow Satan to kill Christ.
When we read the gospel accounts.
And look, when Jesus said this is the hour, when darkness
Reigns Satan was being allowed to have his way upon the Earth.
God allowed that Now he plunged the world into darkness so it
would mourn. What mankind would not.
There are many miracles about the cross where God, displayed
his great August power. Such as when they all fell down
in the garden. When they came to get Jesus,
lots of Miracles. They're displaying the power of
God, but he still Let Jesus died.
He still let it happen. And how God could allow Satan to
do. That is the best thing that ever
happened to us. You know that As God's people,
we know that and in a strange and very real way.
Satan is part of God's plan for mankind.
You see when God W Satan to be stopped forever.
He will be. It's one of those things where
you look in the back of the book and it turns out okay.
Satan is going to be stopped, forever and forever.
God has a plan for that. He has a schedule for that but
that time has not yet come Satan's origin clouded in
mystery, Isaiah 14:12 there. The Bible reads, how art thou
fallen from Heaven o, Lucifer, son of the morning, how art thou
cut down to the ground, which didst weaken, the nation's, for
thou Hast, said in thine heart, I will Ascend into heaven, I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God.
I will sit also upon the Mount of the congregation in the sides
of the north. I will Ascend above the heights
of the clouds. I will be like the most high.
Now that is referring to a ruler of Babel and but it is couched
in the language of the fall of Satan from his place as an angel
who was supposed to serve God. And so we see that Satan's fall
came about because he said I will exalt my throne above the
stars of God. I will be above you Satan Laird.
Well, we read of a warning concerning this in 2nd Peter
chapter 2. Second Peter chapter 2 and verse
4 where the Bible reads for if God spared, not the angels that
sinned, but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into
chains of Darkness to be reserved unto judgement.
God did not spare those angels when they said long long ago,
Angel saying. And what does that mean?
Means they also had free will and do have today.
Angels have free will even today we trust.
And so when we read about them in Jude verse 6, we find the
Angels, which kept not their first estate but left their own
habitation. He hath reserved in Everlasting
chains, under Darkness unto the Judgment of that, great day.
And so Angels were created With a territory.
They were assigned a place a Dominion, a rule.
And then within that sphere, they had Authority or
responsibility, and they had a place where they were to stay
and as long as they stayed there, they were blessed.
Now, when Jesus was created, when Jesus was born upon the
Earth, and when Jesus is explained, Jesus has always been
since Is God, but when the presence of Jesus was explained,
he is explained in the contextual setting of the
Angelic host, which was created and it says regarding him in
Ephesians 1:21, that Jesus is far above all principality and
power and might and dominion and every name that is named not
only in this world but also in that which is to come and those
various names their principality power and might and Dominion are
different degrees of angels different degrees.
Use of authority of the Angelic, host different ranks within the
Angelic Army, if you will. And so there were certain,
Angels, long, long ago that evidently plotted among
themselves and decided that they led by Satan.
We're going to usurp their Authority and overthrow the very
Throne of God. One who would be an elder is
reminded of this. In first Timothy chapter 3 and
verse 6, where Paul told Timothy one who would be an elder is not
a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the
condemnation of the devil. Now it appears that that is what
happened with Satan, he was lifted up with pride.
And so whenever we see this referred to as a warning, it
means that one who would be an elder must be very, very
careful. Lest he also be condemned for
doing the very same thing that Satan did.
Now we might think that it was some huge huge sand, that would
cause Satan to fall from Heaven. And here we see that it was
something horribly common, the sin of pride.
Can any of us? Say we have never ever, ever had
just a little bit of pride in ourselves in our own abilities.
Hmm. Common everyday.
Ordinary sins that we are all very painfully painfully.
Capable of doing. There's this genius Society.
Men's, I believe it is. Some years ago in the Reader's
Digest, there was a test, you could take just to see whether
or not you might be considered for acceptance into that genius
Society. I took it I didn't score too
well. They didn't want me.
I've always considered myself far smarter than my wife.
She took that test. She did a lot better than I did.
Thank any Pride was involved if I remember that, 15 years later.
Hmm, anywhere where we get to think and we're just pretty
good. That's one of those areas where
we can really, really be brought down.
Any of those areas could get us. Not a novice, lest being lifted
up with pride. Common everyday, ordinary Pride.
He fall into the condemnation of the devil.
What must heaven have been like, on that time, long, long ago,
when there was dissension between God's angels and the
Lord and his Angelic hosts that were faithful to him revelation
Evan says, there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels
fought against the dragon and the dragon fought.
And his angels and prevailed. Not neither was their place,
found any more in heaven. And the Great Dragon was cast
out that old serpent called the devil, and Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world. He was cast out into the Earth,
and his angels were cast out with him.
Heaven is a place of Peace, you know, Heavens, a place of rest.
Heaven is a place of tranquility and here we find.
Heaven was a place of War when Satan decided that he was going
to take God's place. Now, this battle that took place
was something that God allowed, but the battle that happened was
between sorry was between. Mean.
Satan. And Michael the Archangel, the
Lord allowed that battle to take place.
Now the Lord's Angel Wong and Satan, and his followers lost
and they have never been forgiven for that defection.
There is no Plan of Salvation for Angels, that's revealed in
the word of God and we trust, there's not one we trust,
there's not want it all. Now, the angels that remain, I
mentioned that they have free will.
How careful are they to keep their appropriate and proper
place? Let's look at Jude verse 9 and
we can see a hint of that. It says There Michael the
Archangel when contending with the devil, he disputed about the
body of Moses, Durst not bring against him a railing.
Nation but said the Lord rebuke thee.
Remember what happened with Moses?
He committed a sin and he was not allowed into the promised
land, but the Lord allowed him to see the promised land from
the mountain. He could see what it was going
to be like and then he died and the Lord buried him.
And we are told that no man will know the place of Moses burial
Somewhere in Time. Satan's influence was such that
he wanted the body of Moses discovered.
Now, those who operate in the Unseen realm can see others in
the Unseen Realm, We're the ones that can't God can see Satan and
Satan's angels, and it would appear that Satan and his angels
can see God. And His angels, were the ones
that are left out here. And so, the Lord dispatch
Michael, the Archangel to have some type of a spiritual
confrontation with Satan, some type of a battle between good
and evil. What is it stake at stake?
Here is the Ability of the truth of God's word.
Because if the body of Moses has ever discovered, it means god is
a liar because God said you will not discover Moses body.
That's a guarantee. Satan said, oh yeah, I'll show
you the Lord said, no, I'll show you now.
Does anybody know where Moses body is today?
Now, people are still conjecturing about it.
You know, every year about Easter time somebody Throw
something out to somehow lend out about the truth of God's
word. But the fact is, we do not know
where Moses was buried. Neither are we going to And when
people say they're going to disprove the word of God,
they're going to have to get up a lot earlier than Satan because
he tried and he couldn't do it. Neither can anybody living
today? The word of God is true?
It is real. We could depend upon it and we
can trust and depend upon what it says.
Now Michael the Archangel is confronting, Satan over the body
of Moses, over the place of the burial of the body of Moses.
It says there, he Durst not bring against him, a railing
accusation. He didn't stand before Satan and
say as the Archangel of God I rebuke you.
It is as though he stood to one side and said to Satan the Lord
rebuke you Who was Michael the Archangel, he was only a
messenger of the truth. He was not trying to be anybody
except a messenger, a servant of God.
I think there's a lesson for all of us to learn there.
Who are we to tell anybody anything?
We're nobody, you know, but we can be a messenger of God to
tell someone, the Lord's message, whether it's a positive
message, or even a message of rebuke.
But we never stand before anybody and say, big, I rebuke
little you. That's not our place, we never
do that. So why was Mark Michael the
Archangel? So very, very careful.
Because angels have free will. He didn't want to make a
mistake. He didn't want to be lost.
Trying to do the Lord's will. And so there may be something
for all of us to learn and take heart from that particular
battle. Not the only place that a
similar battle is referred to Zechariah Chapter 3 verses 1 and
2. He showed me Joshua, the high
priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing
at the right hand to resist him. And the Lord said through the
angel and to Satan the Lord rebuke thee.
O sated We can see some things that God has allowed Satan to do
in the Garden of Eden. We do know that Satan was
allowed to use an animal for his devices.
He used a serpent there and in the form of a serpent.
He came before Eve and he said some things to her and he asked
her a religious question. Now, not everybody that asks
you, a religious question is religious and righteous sir.
Satan certainly was isn't ye hath.
God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden.
It is the serpent who was more subtle than any beast of the
field. Satan acting through the
serpent. The animal saying, these things,
and before we are very hard on Eve, let us think about this for
just a moment where we in the Garden of Eden and it was just
the two Adam and Eve of us. And an animal came up and
started talking to us. You think we wouldn't answer
back? Think about it.
We wouldn't be curious about that.
I think we would, I think we'd answer back.
I think we'd be curious. I think we'd see that animals as
a really smart animal. I think we'd say Hi Neighbor.
Are you doing? I think we would get involved in
this, that's what he did. So let's not look at Eve and
say, well, she did something I wouldn't have done.
Oh yes. We would have, we would have
Well, she answered the serpent on her own that got her into
trouble because she had a helper that she didn't use got her into
big trouble. And so Satan lied told her she
wouldn't die as God had said. And then she saw the tree in a
different light took of the fruit.
Did he gave to her husband? He did eat.
And then they were punished by the Lord.
The woman said, the serpent beguiled me and I did eat lord.
It's not my fault. It's the serpent.
It's that serpent. Who made the serpent.
Lord, you did. It's your fault.
Adam said the woman thou gavest to be with me, she's the one
that gave this to me. In other words, this woman you
made. Lord, she did it.
It's your fault, both of them. Basically, tried to blame the
Lord for their own actions, and the Lord didn't know, he didn't
buy that at all. But here's what happened to the
serpent. Verse 14 of Genesis 3 because
thou Hast done this Thou Art, cursed above, all cattle, and
above every beast of the field upon thy belly, shalt, thou go
and dust shalt, thou eat. The days of thy life.
Now, wait a minute. Don't snakes crawl on the
ground. Yeah, they do now.
But they didn't then. And so Somewhere In Time the
animal that now crawls on its belly like a snake was an
upright animal. And God said to the animal, your
punishment is to crawl on the ground.
One of these days, somebody looking through Rock remains of
animals, are going to see something like a walking snake
and they're going to say see here's a missing link somewhere
and Bible students are going to say no, this may just be the
skeleton of a snake before the fall.
Snakes were upright, but they're not now.
Verse 15 is directed to Satan. I will put enmity between the
woman and between between thee and the woman and between thy
seed, and her seed, it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt
bruise his heel. This is Genesis 3:15, the first,
Messianic prophecy, the first Prophecy of the Messiah, the
first prophecy of Christ, this is where God is saying one of
these days. Satan, you're going to have a
battle and you're going to lose And so for everyone, that was
ever born Satan, then wondered, is this the one?
As every boy, child was born, is he the one that's going to
battle me and I'm going to lose for every girl, child that was
born. Is she going to Bear the wrong?
Who will battle me? And I will lose.
And so one after another Satan viciously attacked every boy and
girl who was ever born. Just as soon as they could
recognize the difference between right and wrong and just like
dominoes. Knows we all fell.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
We don't need to inherit sin as some religions, would say we do
from Adam that's foreign to the Bible.
We don't need to inherit anyone's in, we will have enough
of our own thank you because of our own actions.
And that's true of every one of us who have ever lived except
for Jesus Christ. He's different than us and all
we can thank God for that. Look at the intelligence, God,
allow Satan By inspiration were told about The Wiles of the
devil and Ephesians 6 verse 11. The word Wiles means a cunning
craft a device, a strategy. So Satan has a plan for everyone
Revelation, 20 verse 10. Tells us that Satan is a
deceiver. He's a Seducer.
He's out to lead us astray. It takes a plan.
It takes a plan to be the deceiver.
Second Corinthians 2 verse 11. Let's say And should get an
advantage of us for. We are not ignorant of his
devices so that which Satan does is well, thought out and long
considered how to get us to fall like him.
First, Peter 5 verse 8, be sober be vigilant because your
adversary, the devil as a roaring lion walketh about
seeking whom. He may devour the word devour is
from Qatar which means down and Pinot.
Which means to drink. He wants to drink us down.
He wants to consume Our lives. Our thoughts, our bodies, our
souls for all of eternity. He wants us to be lost like him
wherever we are prideful. Satan is gleeful wherever we are
weak. He knows where ever, we are
struggling. He knows where we have given in
to Temptation in the past. He knows.
He knows so much about us not that he can read minds.
I don't believe. But that he never gives up.
And he has a sense of urgency as though.
Time were short to Everyday, bombard us with everything, he
possibly can to get us to fall. And then when people do fall, he
doesn't even quit thin because he wants them to stay down and
never get up. Never rise above that.
But with all the things that Satan does know and with all of
the intelligence that he does have, there are still some
things that Satan did not know and does not know.
Satan did not know what God's plan was for mankind.
You see God can keep a secret. Psalm 78.
Verse 2 is quoted in Matthew 13, 35, that it might be fulfilled,
which was spoken by the prophet. I will open my mouth in
Parables, I will utter things which have been kept secret from
the foundation of the world. You see God has had Secrets.
He he's really good about keeping the secret, you know, in
the office where I work. There's some folks.
It can really keep a secret and then there's some folks that
just can't. They just can't do it.
You can tell them now, don't tell this and they mean well,
but they just turn around and it just blurts out God's.
Not like that. If he's going to keep a secret,
it is kept. His lips are sealed until the
appropriate time. I think there's an element in
which God kept the agony of the cross, a secret from Christ.
At least the depths of that Agony to me.
There's always been an element of surprise in Jesus Christ from
the cross, Matthew 27:46, when he said my God, my God.
Why hast Thou forsaken? Me?
It's almost as though it was better, it was greater it was
more horrible more in depth than what he knew.
God keeps things secret such as the passing away of the End of
the Age knoweth. No man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my father only Matthew 24 verse 36.
Satan could not know of God's plan about the church, First
Corinthians chapter 2, verses 7 and 8, but we speak the wisdom
of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before. For the world unto our Glory,
which none of the princes of this world knew for had they
known it. They would not have crucified
the Lord Of Glory. You see had had evil men known
what killing Christ would bring about, they wouldn't have done
that. They would have worked hard to
keep him alive because it was because of his death that we
have his burial and his resurrection.
Proving him to have power over death, hell and the grave.
They were ever more giving us, the sure hope of our own
Resurrection from the dead and our own Eternal reward upon
God's blessings in our life. All this is that great mystery.
That mystery that dominates. The Bible that is revealed in
the New Testament times. You see the death of Christ.
Epitomizes the evil of Satan and the righteousness of God, all at
the same time and the Lord used that evil, which he allowed to
bring about his plan. Satan did not know that he was
shocked. He was surprised when the first
day of the week came and Jesus walked out of that tomb, We're
not told what he said, we have no idea, but can't you just
imagine him saying, oh, now what have I done?
You see, that was the bruising of Satan's head when Jesus
walked out of that tomb alive, Satan Was Defeated forever,
more, and he knew it and there was absolutely nothing that he
could do to take that away. Way, all he can do.
Now is try to prevent everybody from believing in the Jesus of
the empty tomb. That's all he can do is to try
to get us everyone of us throughout the whole world to
turn their back on God and his word and the things of the word
of God, God raised him from the dead acts, 13 and verse 30, and
by death death is destroyed. Hebrews 2:14 through 18, and it
is the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead Ephesians
1:18, through 23, Satan did not know that.
That is what was going to happen.
He did not know that the church was how God was going to
manifest himself through the lives of people that loved and
will serve him. Satan did not know that and so
he remains horribly angry about the church.
Church and when Paul appeared before, King Agrippa to tell
about the purpose of the preaching of the gospel of
Christ. The New American Standard
Version says of Acts 26 verse 18 to open their eyes so that they
may turn from Darkness to light and from the Dominion of Satan
to God in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and
an inheritance. Among those who have been
Sanctified by faith in me or when we do what is necessary to
have forgiveness of our sins. Once we are in the Dominion of
God and when we have not done, what is necessary to have the
Forgiveness of our sins, then we are in darkness and we are in
the Dominion of Satan, and there is no middle ground for anyone.
Oh, there are those innocence those children who do not know
the difference between right and wrong, who are in and part of
the kingdom of God, even though they are not in or part of the
church. But all, when we know the
difference between In right and wrong, we choose that which is
wrong. Then we are saying to Satan, we
are on your side, we are with you in nailing Christ to the
cross. And again, we don't look upon
that with pride because as our brother prayed, we are all weak
and we have all made mistakes and when we look to our sinful
past every one of us held the hammer that drove the nails that
put Christ on the cross, every one of us did that.
And so we don't look at others who have sinned in their lives
with pride, because we are simply standing on this, the
Lord side because we know what to do.
And we are willing to do it to be forgiven.
And the Lord be praised that we have had his word revealed
taught to us. Satan does not know.
Whether or not we will be his or gods in eternity.
You see just because we obey the gospel does not mean he ever
gives up. He just keeps working on us in
Luke. 22 Jesus has a little conversation with Simon Peter
and he says they're he revealed something of what was going on
in the Unseen Realm. He says Simon behold.
Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat.
You remember, how wheat was sifted in those days?
It would be thrown up into the breeze and the chaff would be
blown away in the heavier week would settle back to the ground.
And so it was, Jesus is saying to Simon.
Peter Satan wants to throw you up in the air and see.
What You're Made Of. He wants to toss you around, you
know, that's reminiscent of a long time before when Satan
appeared before God. And God said, have you
considered my servant job and in my very loose translation.
Satan said, let me at him, Let me at him.
Satan was asking God, it appears in Luke 22 for permission to go
after Simon, Peter. Listen to what Jesus said.
He didn't stop it, but verse 32 says Jesus words, but I have
prayed for thee that thy faith, fail not.
And when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren, If you
ever wonder what to pray for. Pray for each other.
Pray for folks in this congregation and the surrounding
congregations by name. You see, we never know when the
person we're praying for is being sifted like we did in
their life, we never know. God won't stop those
Temptations. We know that he didn't even
stop. Simon Peters temptation, but he
said I've prayed for you that thy faith, fail, not.
And so we leaned upon the mercy and the grace of God, we beg for
his providential care to lead us, not in passive, temptation,
but to Deliver Us from Evil. And what do we want?
We want the strength to get through the Temptations that
we're going to be faced with today, just today.
And sometimes we will never know when our prayer to God on behalf
of a dear brother, or sister is just what they needed to help
them through the day. Don't ever wonder what to pray
for. Pray for each other.
Pray for ourselves. You see here's God's promise to
us. God still are Satan.
Rather still incites people to evil First.
Corinthians 7 verse 5. He's able to disguise himself as
an angel of Light. Second Corinthians 11:14, he
continues to hinder. Christians first Thessalonians,
2 18, He Still The Prince of the power of the air Ephesians 2
verse 2 but if we resist the devil, he will.
Flee James 4 verse 7. Resist the devil and he will
flee from you. And we are told submit
yourselves, then to God. Lest there be any confusion when
Saint happens in our lives. It is our fault James 1:13.
Let no, man say when he is, tempted, I am tempted of God.
For God cannot be tempted with evil.
Neither tempteth. He any man, but every man is
tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed,
then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin and sin.
When it is finished, bringeth forth, death.
Do not are my beloved Brethren. So where does this end and began
with us? We can't blame anybody else for
our trespasses, only ourselves. And so, what do we need to do?
We need to as a fission for verse. 27 says, neither give
place to the devil. We need to fill our lives with
those things that are good. Doing our very best with one
another's. Help to do those things that are
right? So that we may turn aside from
Satan and resist his wives. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional
information, or you would like to receive a free Bible
correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her
Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.
Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.
We would love for you to be our honored guest.