Take a quiz—How many of these people do you recognize: Owen D. Young; Pierre Laval, Hugh S. Johnson; James F. Byrnes; Mohammed Mossadegh; Harlow Curtice? These are not obscure names! Each one of these people were designated “Man of the Year” by Time magazine. The major criterion for being selected as “Man of the Year” is that they supposedly had the greatest impact of all persons living on the earth within a given year.
When it is all said and done, what will you have built that will last? The Scriptures contain many teachings warning us about chasing after the things of this world and how temporary they are. The author of Ecclesiastes uses the terms “vanity of vanities” (used 38 times) and “striving after wind” (used 7 times) to share his understanding of the futility of making things “under the sun” (used 29 times) the ultimate quest. His point, as he experiments with many different areas of life in a quest for the meaning of life, from the beginning of the book (1:2) to the end (12:8), is that a focus on the things of this world will always end with the same conclusion—“‘Vanity of vanities’, says the Preacher, ‘all is vanity!’” Any worldview that doesn’t rise above the horizon of man himself is a waste of time!
Mark Twain, shortly before he died, wrote the following:
A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle; . . . they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; . . . those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It (the release) comes at last—the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them—and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence, . . . a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.
How sad to view life this way, but this is “under the sun” thinking! It is the very trap the builders of the Tower of Babel fell prey to. In a quest to make a name for themselves, they forgot the most important thing—the will of their God!
The one thing we have seen show up over and over again as we have studied who God is and what He wants is that God has a plan for everything! Man was removed from the Garden of Eden—God shared a plan for their ultimate return. Cain killed his brother and God started over through the lineage of Seth. When the genealogies of Cain and Seth intermarried and every thought of man became evil continually, He saved the world through the flood and showed His planning through Enoch and Lamech. Now, as the people build the Tower at Babel, He will once again show His planning and intention through a man we know as Abraham. Through all of this He will show the difference in man making a name for themselves and His making a name for us!
So, what do we use as a basis for meaning, value and significance? What have you done that you believe in and are proud of? What will survive the test of time? Perhaps Paul’s words to the Corinthians provide a perspective we should consider:
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. (I Cor. 3:10-13)
Have you thought about whether what you are spending your time and energy upon will even last? Are you striving to make a name for yourself, or will you trust God to make your legacy? WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING?
To listen to sermon, click Making a Name for Yourself.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
What is Your Perspective?
To please his father, a freshman went out for Track. He had no athletic ability, though his father had been a good runner in his day, particularly in the mile. The young man’s first race was a two-man race in which he was pitted against the school’s 3-year champion in the mile. Thus, he was beaten badly. Not wanting to disappoint his father, the boy wrote home the following message. “You will be happy to know that I ran against Bill Williams, the best mile runner in the school. He came in next to last, while I came in second!”
Perspective is an amazing thing! There are always at least two ways to look at things. One sees the glass half-full and the other sees it half-empty. One faces a trial or challenge and thinks it a punishment from God and another considers it an opportunity to be stretched and to grow in their faith. This is certainly true as we look at the story of Noah and the flood this morning.
Most of us know the major details of the account of Noah and the flood. We also typically understand that there are at least two perspectives from which we should view the events of this story. One is the side of judgment and the way God handles sin. The other is the side of salvation and the way God handles the sinner. We will see in the sermon this morning the effort of God to SAVE mankind, but the destruction that comes because sin must be dealt with according to the righteous nature of our God. What is interesting is that the whole story of Noah and the flood is laid out to make a powerful point that the author intends not to be missed.
According to Gordon Wenham in the Word Biblical Commentary series, the story of the flood from 6:9 through 9:19 carries within it the following pattern:
A. Transitional Introduction (6:9-10)
B. Violence in Creation (6:11-12)
C. 1st Divine Speech: Resolve to destroy (6:13-22)
D. 2nd Divine Speech: Enter the ark (7:1-10)
E. Beginning of flood (7:11-16)
F. The Rising flood (7:17-24)
Þ GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8:1)
F. The Receding flood (8:1-5)
E. Drying of the earth (8:16-14)
D. 3rd Divine Speech: Leave ark (8:15-19)
C. God’s resolve to preserve order (8:20-22)
B. 4th Divine Speech: Covenant (9:1-17)
A. Transitional conclusion (9:18-19)
This is called a palistrophe, where the story builds up to a point and then builds out from it. The significance of an order like this is that the point in the middle is generally the main emphasis.
Do you see what the author is emphasizing? God always remembers those in a bond of covenant with Him! Isaiah would put it this way: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you!”—Is. 49:15.
Consider some other passages and what God provides for those in covenant with Him because He remembers them (Genesis 19:29; Exodus 2:24; I Samuel 1:19; Psalm 105:42). As horrific as the flood event appears at first glance, it sure demonstrates the heart of love God has for those who belong to Him. It is all a matter of your perspective!
To listen to sermon, click The Flood Was a Salvation Event.
Perspective is an amazing thing! There are always at least two ways to look at things. One sees the glass half-full and the other sees it half-empty. One faces a trial or challenge and thinks it a punishment from God and another considers it an opportunity to be stretched and to grow in their faith. This is certainly true as we look at the story of Noah and the flood this morning.
Most of us know the major details of the account of Noah and the flood. We also typically understand that there are at least two perspectives from which we should view the events of this story. One is the side of judgment and the way God handles sin. The other is the side of salvation and the way God handles the sinner. We will see in the sermon this morning the effort of God to SAVE mankind, but the destruction that comes because sin must be dealt with according to the righteous nature of our God. What is interesting is that the whole story of Noah and the flood is laid out to make a powerful point that the author intends not to be missed.
According to Gordon Wenham in the Word Biblical Commentary series, the story of the flood from 6:9 through 9:19 carries within it the following pattern:
A. Transitional Introduction (6:9-10)
B. Violence in Creation (6:11-12)
C. 1st Divine Speech: Resolve to destroy (6:13-22)
D. 2nd Divine Speech: Enter the ark (7:1-10)
E. Beginning of flood (7:11-16)
F. The Rising flood (7:17-24)
Þ GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8:1)
F. The Receding flood (8:1-5)
E. Drying of the earth (8:16-14)
D. 3rd Divine Speech: Leave ark (8:15-19)
C. God’s resolve to preserve order (8:20-22)
B. 4th Divine Speech: Covenant (9:1-17)
A. Transitional conclusion (9:18-19)
This is called a palistrophe, where the story builds up to a point and then builds out from it. The significance of an order like this is that the point in the middle is generally the main emphasis.
Do you see what the author is emphasizing? God always remembers those in a bond of covenant with Him! Isaiah would put it this way: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you!”—Is. 49:15.
Consider some other passages and what God provides for those in covenant with Him because He remembers them (Genesis 19:29; Exodus 2:24; I Samuel 1:19; Psalm 105:42). As horrific as the flood event appears at first glance, it sure demonstrates the heart of love God has for those who belong to Him. It is all a matter of your perspective!
To listen to sermon, click The Flood Was a Salvation Event.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
What Legacy Do I Want To Leave Behind?!?!?
Who wants to study a genealogy? Of all the sections of material in the Bible, could anything be as dry and pointless as a genealogy? For some reason Moses puts TWO genealogies side by side right near the beginning of his writings to teach us about our relationship with God (who He is and what He wants).
One of the great things about Scripture is the way God chooses to teach lessons about who He is and what He wills through both the good news and the bad news in people’s lives. One might think it prudent for God to choose one story of victory after another to show the benefits and plausibility of doing things according to His will. And, of course, there are many stories like this throughout the Scriptures: David & Goliath; Daniel in the lion’s den; Joseph in Egypt; Elijah on Mount Carmel; Peter walking on water; and the list could go on. However, God often shows the failings and weaknesses of individuals, as well. He does not try to hide them. In fact, it seems as though He willingly displays them so we might grow from the mistakes others have made. Consider David & Bathsheba; the grumbling of the Israelites in the wilderness; Noah getting drunk; Solomon and his many wives; Peter’s denials of Jesus; and Paul’s argument with Barnabas concerning John Mark, just to name a few. God uses these moments of sin or human weakness to teach us His will and ultimately bring Himself glory!
This morning’s sermon over the genealogies of Cain and Seth is a further example of the way God does this. As we see records of generations of two particular families, it becomes clear that we have a choice to make. What type of family legacy will we leave behind as future generations unfold? Will we leave behind a legacy of worldly success at the expense of our souls, such as we find in the genealogy of Cain, or will those who look back over our own genealogy see God working out His plans throughout our family line, like we see in the genealogy of Seth? What will those who look back at us say our priorities were? What Moses is emphasizing through these two genealogies is the most fundamental decision mankind must make—what legacy do you want to leave behind? When you know the answer to this question, pursue it intentionally! After all, what truly is more important than this?
To listen to sermon, click The Tale of Two Genealogies.
A Great Big Thank You!
It was such a nice surprise and a great encouragement to Deeann and me to receive the outpouring of blessings and kind thoughts that this church family bestowed upon us last week. Thank you for the cards and gifts and especially for the prayers and blessings we were given. We are excited about the work we get to do for the Lord with the church family here at Garden Ridge and look forward to growing together as disciples, servants and ambassadors for our Lord. Thank you again for showing us such love and appreciation even though we have been here such a short time. It is greatly appreciated!
One of the great things about Scripture is the way God chooses to teach lessons about who He is and what He wills through both the good news and the bad news in people’s lives. One might think it prudent for God to choose one story of victory after another to show the benefits and plausibility of doing things according to His will. And, of course, there are many stories like this throughout the Scriptures: David & Goliath; Daniel in the lion’s den; Joseph in Egypt; Elijah on Mount Carmel; Peter walking on water; and the list could go on. However, God often shows the failings and weaknesses of individuals, as well. He does not try to hide them. In fact, it seems as though He willingly displays them so we might grow from the mistakes others have made. Consider David & Bathsheba; the grumbling of the Israelites in the wilderness; Noah getting drunk; Solomon and his many wives; Peter’s denials of Jesus; and Paul’s argument with Barnabas concerning John Mark, just to name a few. God uses these moments of sin or human weakness to teach us His will and ultimately bring Himself glory!
This morning’s sermon over the genealogies of Cain and Seth is a further example of the way God does this. As we see records of generations of two particular families, it becomes clear that we have a choice to make. What type of family legacy will we leave behind as future generations unfold? Will we leave behind a legacy of worldly success at the expense of our souls, such as we find in the genealogy of Cain, or will those who look back over our own genealogy see God working out His plans throughout our family line, like we see in the genealogy of Seth? What will those who look back at us say our priorities were? What Moses is emphasizing through these two genealogies is the most fundamental decision mankind must make—what legacy do you want to leave behind? When you know the answer to this question, pursue it intentionally! After all, what truly is more important than this?
To listen to sermon, click The Tale of Two Genealogies.
A Great Big Thank You!
It was such a nice surprise and a great encouragement to Deeann and me to receive the outpouring of blessings and kind thoughts that this church family bestowed upon us last week. Thank you for the cards and gifts and especially for the prayers and blessings we were given. We are excited about the work we get to do for the Lord with the church family here at Garden Ridge and look forward to growing together as disciples, servants and ambassadors for our Lord. Thank you again for showing us such love and appreciation even though we have been here such a short time. It is greatly appreciated!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
When Justice and Mercy Collide
Isn’t it awesome that God is so merciful? After all, we all mess up, and who doesn’t need a God who understands and provides out of His mercy and grace another chance to work things out? It is really difficult to live in this world and not become influenced or stained by it. Thus, we need a God who is full of mercy and grace! Instead of surrendering as a failure, I can be made new and have a whole new outlook on things!
Isn’t it awesome that God is so just? After all, there are so many things in this world that are shady and deceitful! How many times are we taken advantage of because someone has their own agenda and will take whatever means they deem necessary to accomplish their goal? Sometimes it is hard to know what standard to live by, but having a God who is just helps me determine morality, truth and what is right because I have a measuring stick with which to evaluate things.
We serve a God who is both just AND merciful!!! Consider the way God presents himself to Moses when He reveals His glory to him on Mt. Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 34:6-7:
6 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."
Do you see both the justice and mercy of God portrayed as He speaks to Moses? God says these things about Himself!!! The context of this proclamation is that God is angry enough to destroy the Israelites due to their sin with the golden calf, but Moses begs Him to continue walking with them. Moses has returned to Mt. Sinai with two tablets of stone to have the 10 Commandments inscribed on them and he will return to the Israelite camp with a glow that frightens the people as a result of his time in the presence of God. Even the physical representations of tablets of stone (Law) and the glow (presence of God) show both characteristics of His nature!
How do these two characteristics work together? Does His justice override His grace, or does His grace override His justice? Is it possible for the two to work in balance? This morning, as we look at the story of Cain and Abel, we are able to see both aspects of this great God we serve. The justice of God will not accept Cain’s sacrifice, while the grace of God will warn him of sin crouching at his door waiting to have him. The justice of God will hold Cain accountable for the murder of his brother, prohibiting him from using the ground to grow crops and making him a wanderer and a vagrant, while the grace of God will protect Cain from someone finding him and killing him.
Perhaps this is what makes our understanding of God and His ways so difficult at times. It is hard to balance these two characteristics! When I swing to the side of justice, I struggle with what God does through His grace (Why would God protect a murderer?). When I swing to the side of grace, I struggle with God’s justice (Why wouldn’t God accept Cain’s sacrifice?) Yet, God exhibits both characteristics with great balance. Isn’t it awesome that God is so merciful and just!!!
To listen to sermon, click Serving God on My Terms.
Isn’t it awesome that God is so just? After all, there are so many things in this world that are shady and deceitful! How many times are we taken advantage of because someone has their own agenda and will take whatever means they deem necessary to accomplish their goal? Sometimes it is hard to know what standard to live by, but having a God who is just helps me determine morality, truth and what is right because I have a measuring stick with which to evaluate things.
We serve a God who is both just AND merciful!!! Consider the way God presents himself to Moses when He reveals His glory to him on Mt. Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 34:6-7:
6 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."
Do you see both the justice and mercy of God portrayed as He speaks to Moses? God says these things about Himself!!! The context of this proclamation is that God is angry enough to destroy the Israelites due to their sin with the golden calf, but Moses begs Him to continue walking with them. Moses has returned to Mt. Sinai with two tablets of stone to have the 10 Commandments inscribed on them and he will return to the Israelite camp with a glow that frightens the people as a result of his time in the presence of God. Even the physical representations of tablets of stone (Law) and the glow (presence of God) show both characteristics of His nature!
How do these two characteristics work together? Does His justice override His grace, or does His grace override His justice? Is it possible for the two to work in balance? This morning, as we look at the story of Cain and Abel, we are able to see both aspects of this great God we serve. The justice of God will not accept Cain’s sacrifice, while the grace of God will warn him of sin crouching at his door waiting to have him. The justice of God will hold Cain accountable for the murder of his brother, prohibiting him from using the ground to grow crops and making him a wanderer and a vagrant, while the grace of God will protect Cain from someone finding him and killing him.
Perhaps this is what makes our understanding of God and His ways so difficult at times. It is hard to balance these two characteristics! When I swing to the side of justice, I struggle with what God does through His grace (Why would God protect a murderer?). When I swing to the side of grace, I struggle with God’s justice (Why wouldn’t God accept Cain’s sacrifice?) Yet, God exhibits both characteristics with great balance. Isn’t it awesome that God is so merciful and just!!!
To listen to sermon, click Serving God on My Terms.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The Quest to Live Forever
It is amazing the types of things people in our society will do in a quest to stay young and “live” forever! Have you heard the one about Ted Williams, the former Red Sox Baseball player? Upon his death, his son had his head removed from his body and had both head and body frozen in a preserved state for the day that medical advances can bring him back to life and restore him to good health. To commemorate this decision, (I promise I am not making this up) the Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings Minor League Baseball team held a “Ted Williams Popsicle Night” on June 3, 2003 (the one year anniversary of his being put into cryogenic stasis), in which the first 500 fans in attendance received a free Popsicle—Is nothing sacred anymore?!?!?
Then there is David Copperfield, the magician, who claims he discovered the “Fountain of Youth” on one of the Bahaman Islands he recently purchased for the price of almost $50 million. In a phone interview on CNN in August, 2006, Copperfield said, “You can take dead leaves; they come in contact with the water; they become full of life again. Bugs or insects that are near death come in contact with the water, they’ll fly away.” Copperfield admits he has hired scientists to examine and experiment with the waters, but why has nothing reputable been reported, if this is real?
Robert Freitas, a nano-robotics theorist, suggests we could see the day when tiny medical nano-robots travel through our bloodstream to find and destroy dangerous things like bacteria and cancer cells and other potential hazards. Other scientists are proposing that through cybernetics there will come a time when human consciousness will be able to be uploaded onto a computer system where an individual will live indefinitely in a virtual reality (sort of like a Matrix concept).
Isn’t it amazing that there is within us this desire to live forever? Perhaps, even more amazing is how our Father in heaven has once again responded to a need we have and provided a means for it to be fulfilled! It does not involve cryogenics, cybernetics, nano-robotics, or even a Fountain of Youth! What it does involve is a thing called the Tree of Life. This is what we will study about this morning. However, from what we will see, God is very particular about who He will allow to feast from its fruit. I pray you will see the heart of God as we study about the RESTORATION God brings us through in order to make us ready to live forever.
To listen to sermon, click Eating from the Tree of Life.
Then there is David Copperfield, the magician, who claims he discovered the “Fountain of Youth” on one of the Bahaman Islands he recently purchased for the price of almost $50 million. In a phone interview on CNN in August, 2006, Copperfield said, “You can take dead leaves; they come in contact with the water; they become full of life again. Bugs or insects that are near death come in contact with the water, they’ll fly away.” Copperfield admits he has hired scientists to examine and experiment with the waters, but why has nothing reputable been reported, if this is real?
Robert Freitas, a nano-robotics theorist, suggests we could see the day when tiny medical nano-robots travel through our bloodstream to find and destroy dangerous things like bacteria and cancer cells and other potential hazards. Other scientists are proposing that through cybernetics there will come a time when human consciousness will be able to be uploaded onto a computer system where an individual will live indefinitely in a virtual reality (sort of like a Matrix concept).
Isn’t it amazing that there is within us this desire to live forever? Perhaps, even more amazing is how our Father in heaven has once again responded to a need we have and provided a means for it to be fulfilled! It does not involve cryogenics, cybernetics, nano-robotics, or even a Fountain of Youth! What it does involve is a thing called the Tree of Life. This is what we will study about this morning. However, from what we will see, God is very particular about who He will allow to feast from its fruit. I pray you will see the heart of God as we study about the RESTORATION God brings us through in order to make us ready to live forever.
To listen to sermon, click Eating from the Tree of Life.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
A Father’s Discipline
As a parent, it is sure nice to get beyond the stages where corporal forms of punishment are needed to teach obedience and reinforce various life lessons that are vital for the safety and maturation of our children. As Tyler, Christopher and Whitney mature into young adults; it is nice to see our relationship shifting towards more of a friend/respect bond rather than the parent-child/obedience bond we lived with for many years. It is not that they don’t still live with the parent-child/obedience model, but through empowerment and maturation our relationship has moved to a new level—one which I welcome and embrace!
I believe God feels the same way! Training up children is difficult and takes a lot of hard work. Maybe that is why the whole life process begins with something called “labor”. Discipline takes wisdom, patience, perseverance, and, well, discipline to do it well. Fortunately, God demonstrates all of these qualities throughout the Scriptures as He trains up His people to know Him and His ways. The reason these qualities are necessary is because discipline is meant to be more teaching than punishment (discipline and disciple come from the same root word)!
That brings us to the interesting situation going on in Genesis 3 when God brings forth His big stick of punishment upon the serpent and the first man and woman as a result of their disobedience. Certainly, He is teaching He is in control and must be obeyed, but what other lessons is He trying to get across through His choice of discipline? I mean, what does increased pain in childbirth and difficulty in getting the ground to produce have to do with eating fruit they weren’t supposed to? This would be like taking my car to get the brakes fixed and the mechanic working on the horn to make it louder, thinking that would solve my problem, right? It just doesn’t make sense!
Perhaps there is more here than meets the eye at first glance? This morning we will see God’s response to mankind when we mess up. It is a powerful story of love and provision as God refuses to give up on mankind. There are lessons for mankind to learn, but He demonstrates He is in this for the long haul! He will not give up on us! Have I whetted your appetite to the text we will look at this morning in the sermon? (And you probably thought I would explain it all here. Sorry, but you have to wait for the sermon to see how this all plays out.)
To listen to sermon, click How Does God Respond When We Mess Up?
I believe God feels the same way! Training up children is difficult and takes a lot of hard work. Maybe that is why the whole life process begins with something called “labor”. Discipline takes wisdom, patience, perseverance, and, well, discipline to do it well. Fortunately, God demonstrates all of these qualities throughout the Scriptures as He trains up His people to know Him and His ways. The reason these qualities are necessary is because discipline is meant to be more teaching than punishment (discipline and disciple come from the same root word)!
That brings us to the interesting situation going on in Genesis 3 when God brings forth His big stick of punishment upon the serpent and the first man and woman as a result of their disobedience. Certainly, He is teaching He is in control and must be obeyed, but what other lessons is He trying to get across through His choice of discipline? I mean, what does increased pain in childbirth and difficulty in getting the ground to produce have to do with eating fruit they weren’t supposed to? This would be like taking my car to get the brakes fixed and the mechanic working on the horn to make it louder, thinking that would solve my problem, right? It just doesn’t make sense!
Perhaps there is more here than meets the eye at first glance? This morning we will see God’s response to mankind when we mess up. It is a powerful story of love and provision as God refuses to give up on mankind. There are lessons for mankind to learn, but He demonstrates He is in this for the long haul! He will not give up on us! Have I whetted your appetite to the text we will look at this morning in the sermon? (And you probably thought I would explain it all here. Sorry, but you have to wait for the sermon to see how this all plays out.)
To listen to sermon, click How Does God Respond When We Mess Up?
Sunday, October 7, 2007
He is out to Destroy Us
The Scriptures warn us over and over again of the enemy we have working to destroy us! We are told he is a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies (John 8:44). We are warned he is our adversary and he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking those he can devour (I Peter 5:8). We are warned to put on the armor of God because of the schemes of the devil through which he will try to destroy us (Ephesians 6:11-13). The truth is, HE IS PLAYING FOR KEEPS AND HE PLAYS DIRTY!!!
There is an old story about how Eskimo’s hunt wolves that parallels the twisted strategy the devil uses to get us to destroy ourselves. It is really quite gruesome, but it shows the danger we are in when we do not control our lusts. What the Eskimo does is take a sharpened knife with a double-edged blade and dip it in blood and freeze it. He does this many times over in order to make a frozen Popsicle of blood around the knife blade. Once this is done, he buries the knife with the handle side down, leaving only the Popsicle of blood exposed. The wolf then smells the blood and begins hunting for it. He begins licking the blade and the coldness of the frozen blood numbs his tongue so that as he gets down to the sharpened blade and slices his tongue, he does not realize that it becomes his own blood that he is feasting upon. Ultimately, the wolf bleeds to death feeding upon his own blood.
This a sad picture, but how many of us fall into the same traps by the devil and actually wind up destroying ourselves because we cannot control our lusts? This morning we will be introduced to someone else in the Garden of Eden who was seeking control. This serpent, who we know as the devil, uses lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride to shipwreck our faith. He sets the temptations before us that will entice us to get out of control so we destroy ourselves! What is interesting in the picture provided in the Scriptures is how consistent he is with the same warfare over and over again. Why do we keep falling for his schemes?
Do you want to hear the good news? I have a picture hanging in my office that was given to me by some great friends. It is a picture of Daniel sitting against a wall in the lion’s den with a lion nose to nose with him staring him in the eyes. I love this picture because it reminds me of the control my God has even over the “roaring lions seeking someone to devour” and how He can hold the devil at bay! Perhaps the real question is whether He can hold ME at bay. We will see the way Jesus handles the temptations of the devil this morning, BUT will we learn from His example? Our enemy is out to destroy us! Fortunately, our God is much bigger than our enemy! “Submit therefore to God! Resist the devil and he will flee from you! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!” (James 4:7-8)
To listen to sermon, click The Devil's Triangle.
There is an old story about how Eskimo’s hunt wolves that parallels the twisted strategy the devil uses to get us to destroy ourselves. It is really quite gruesome, but it shows the danger we are in when we do not control our lusts. What the Eskimo does is take a sharpened knife with a double-edged blade and dip it in blood and freeze it. He does this many times over in order to make a frozen Popsicle of blood around the knife blade. Once this is done, he buries the knife with the handle side down, leaving only the Popsicle of blood exposed. The wolf then smells the blood and begins hunting for it. He begins licking the blade and the coldness of the frozen blood numbs his tongue so that as he gets down to the sharpened blade and slices his tongue, he does not realize that it becomes his own blood that he is feasting upon. Ultimately, the wolf bleeds to death feeding upon his own blood.
This a sad picture, but how many of us fall into the same traps by the devil and actually wind up destroying ourselves because we cannot control our lusts? This morning we will be introduced to someone else in the Garden of Eden who was seeking control. This serpent, who we know as the devil, uses lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride to shipwreck our faith. He sets the temptations before us that will entice us to get out of control so we destroy ourselves! What is interesting in the picture provided in the Scriptures is how consistent he is with the same warfare over and over again. Why do we keep falling for his schemes?
Do you want to hear the good news? I have a picture hanging in my office that was given to me by some great friends. It is a picture of Daniel sitting against a wall in the lion’s den with a lion nose to nose with him staring him in the eyes. I love this picture because it reminds me of the control my God has even over the “roaring lions seeking someone to devour” and how He can hold the devil at bay! Perhaps the real question is whether He can hold ME at bay. We will see the way Jesus handles the temptations of the devil this morning, BUT will we learn from His example? Our enemy is out to destroy us! Fortunately, our God is much bigger than our enemy! “Submit therefore to God! Resist the devil and he will flee from you! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!” (James 4:7-8)
To listen to sermon, click The Devil's Triangle.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
