1st John 2:15-17 says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever".
Father, we thank you this morning that you are in this place. Lord, thank you for the things that have already been accomplished. Now Lord, we give ourselves to you and let this word have its work in us. May we decrease and may you increase, in Jesus name, amen.
All of us were created to have a relationship with the living God. How many are thankful that you know Christ as your Savior? He's your friend and your everything. Part of what God is doing right now in the life of this church is bringing us to a place where we are holy and we are like Him, where our life is surrendered to the Lord and not surrendered to the things of this world. It's exciting what God is doing; He's helping us to be more like Him. There's no one like our God, no one greater, no one more loving, no one who is a better provider, no one more wise, no one who can make all things beautiful like He does. He is the lover of our soul, the one who cares for us more than we could ever care for ourself. He's the one who sticks closer than a brother. My question is, why would anyone walk away from that? Why would anyone want to walk away from our God?
Satan uses three distractions or three seductions to lure us into a relationship with the world, but that relationship with the world holds no lasting promise. The enticement of the world is like a harlot that tries to attract a man. He gives her all his money, all his attention, sacrifices his marriage, and she has no intention of ever sticking around. That's what its like when we begin to leave God and go after the things of the world. Satan's goal is to lead us into a place where we would trade all that God offers for the emptiness that the enemy offers. I want to remind us that you can't have two loyalties in life and you can't have two loyalties spiritually. We get one choice, either we serve God or we serve the world.
The truth is you and I are not capable of being loyal to more than one thing at a time. The Bible reminds us of that, if we love the world then we show God that we don't love Him. James 4:4 says, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God. Whoever therefore wants to be a friend with the world makes himself an enemy of God". I have had friends of mine that have tried to be friends with someone who has done me great wrong and they've decided that they want to be friends with both; someone that did something to us that was so bad and they thought they would like to be their friend as well. How many know you can't be a friend of someone and a friend of their enemy at the same time? It's just not possible because if someone has done something to someone that you really care about and you're friends with that person as well then you're really not showing loyalty to the one who is supposed to be a friend. It's that simple.
God says this, "I want you for me". Satan says, "I want to draw you into this world and into all that I have to offer". He's not talking about being friends with unsaved people, he's talking about trying to split your time between living holy and living unholy; between living for Jesus and not living for Jesus. The three seductions we're going to look at entice us to take a 2nd look at the world and then a 3rd look and a 4th look until pretty soon we think we like it and decide to live another way. I believe that these three things: the silver, the sex, and self are hitting people more than they ever have throughout history.
I want to look at this first seduction this morning and that's the seduction of silver, which is spelled, MONEY.
There are many benefits to having money. You can purchase what you need, get yourself a little bit of pleasure, or get yourself some time away to help yourself feel better. If you've got enough money you can make yourself look prestigious and sway people to your side. As a matter of fact you can even get a certain amount of comfort and security from having money. If you've got enough money, you can buy yourself the biggest house with a gate around it and hire security guards to keep yourself locked off from everybody else. But for many, money is not just a means to an end, money has become and end to itself. America has become enamored with money, so much so that it has affected our country again in ways that we should have known better than what we're doing. We need to realize that with as much money as you have, money always says that there's got to be more. It never satisfies, no matter how much you have or how much you get. If you're not satisfied with what God has given you now, you will not be satisfied if you had the whole world in front of you then, because there's always something more. Everybody always has something else bigger or something else going on.
Matthew 6:24 says, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon".
Today it's all about the money. I remember a day when stores were closed and you had no choice but to be home because there was nowhere else to go. Why are places open on Sunday? It's to make money. It's the Lord's day but today it's just another day. People say money talks; money will get people to do whatever you want. In the Bible it says that the people who worshipped idols expected their idols to speak back to them. God asked why are you praying to these idols that have a mouth but can't speak, ears but they can't hear, yet you pray to them. It tells us not to make for ourself any graven image. Have you ever looked at a dollar? It's funny because people say they would never pray to an idol or pray to something of silver or gold, or pray to something that is inanimate. The Bible says, "Make not unto yourself any graven image". The dollar was made at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and in America today this has become our God. It is just as much of an idol. We're not worshipping George Washington or whoever is on that thing but we worship the idol of what this money can do for us. We make it our all and we wind up living for it. Instead of just working so we can afford things, we begin to make the work our God.
1st Timothy 10:11 says, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil for which some of strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows".
Money has become the standard by which we judge a person's worth. How many know your net worth doesn't matter at all to Jesus Christ? He already gave His all for you. The truth is it doesn't matter how much money you have or don't have, He already gave His life on Calvary and He's the one that we worship. Money, the Bible says gets people into all kinds of things. Many have gotten greedy, always wanting more and needing to work longer hours. The Bible says this, that many have pierced themselves through with many troubles. Why? Because of money. Friendships are ruined and marriages are ruined because of money. People are in debt up to their eyeballs because they had to have more money and they borrowed it.
When we begin to serve money, we begin to do the devil's work for him. The Bible says, they pierced themselves through. Today, people are caught up in debt, caught up in the status trap, lost on the merry go round of needing to have more and more. They say that everyone has their price. What's your price? They say that everybody can be bought. I don't believe that's true. I believe that there are people of God that would give their all for Jesus no matter what and there's not an amount of money that would ever cause them to deny their faith. But what's your price? What have you sacrificed so you could have more money? What relationships have you changed because money meant everything? What kind of people have you ignored or disregarded because they didn't have enough money? Our price is to be like Jesus.
1st Corinthians 7:23 says, "For you were bought at a price, do not become slaves of men".
Whose picture is on that money? A man's. Thank God for these great men that were our Presidents and I'm not saying that if you've got money in your wallet you're wrong. If you're going to get some groceries then you better have a little bit of that on you. What I'm saying is that we don't worship those men but may we never be enslaved to man's system. May we never become those who have given their life for that. The Bible says to flee these things. So many things can trap you. I want to encourage you to refuse to be seduced by silver and all its allure. Of course silver looks pretty and it looks attractive but many people have worn themselves out to get rich instead of wearing themselves out for something that is lasting. How many know there is much more in the Kingdom of God than we could ever have at the local bank?
Proverbs 23:4-5 says, "Do not wear yourself out to get rich. Have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches and they're gone, for they shall surely sprout wings and fly off into the sky like an eagle".
America has gone through many recessions and many booms. There have been bull markets and there have been bear markets. Some of these people that get caught up in the bull markets and then when the bear market shows up, are jumping off of buildings because their God has let them down. People who put their hope in their money, as soon as it begins to run out and the country gets to a place where things don't make sense and its not easy anymore, they begin to question their God. Who is your God?
What would happen to the church if we hit another great depression? How many people will still be Christians? How many people will hang on to God and how many will begin to doubt their God and His faithfulness? How many know that God is faithful whether you've got a lot in the bank or whether you've got nothing in the bank? God said He would supply our needs according to His riches in glory. He will take care of us because He's Jehovah Gyrah, our provider. He's our Father who cares for us. It's not dependent on what we have, it's dependent on who He is. I want to remind us that we need to not be looking at the world and its system and its ways, we just need to keep our eyes on Jesus.
The 2nd seduction is sexual seduction. There is not one person in this room who would argue that there is not a tsunami of sexual sin sweeping our world today. It's everywhere. Abortion has become a national tragedy. Pornography has become that thing where books are written that talk about every man's battle. The truth is that there probably isn't a man in this room who hasn't struggled with that at one point or another. Affairs are taking place; hooking up has become common place. Living together is now the norm in America, more than it is to get married. Today these things are no big deal in our society. But make no mistake, the seduction of sexual sin has begun to effect and devastate our nation and it's begun to devastate the church and people within the church. It has devastated families, it's had a personal and emotional effect, and it spiritually separates us from God.
1st Corinthians 6:18 says, "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body".
Again, this sin causes us to do the devil's work for him. How many of you are tired of being a devil's puppet? The truth is that we have lots of things in this world to make our life easier. We have toasters, washing machines and all kinds of stuff so that we don't have to do a whole lot of work. Even cutting the grass is a lot easier than it used to be. How many are glad you don't need to have a cow or a goat to keep your grass down? We've made a lot of things convenient and so does the enemy. The truth is the devil is lazy and if he can get you to do his work he's happy about it. Flee sexual immorality because this is when a person sins against their own self. Divorce, disease, bruised relationships, shame, guilt, pain, they all follow improper sexual relationships. The only proper sexual relationship is within the confines of a marriage between one man and one woman.
I don't care what the world says or even if the Government makes a law that its ok to have a legal civil relationship with a man and a man or a woman and a woman. I don't care even what the United States law says because the laws of God always supercedes the laws of man. We need to be reminded of that today because in this world, sexual immorality has become the norm. The worst part of it is that we damage ourselves. The Bible says to flee, to run from it as far as you can. If a gun was pointed at you and you knew you could get away, you'd get away. Run if that sin comes.
Men, if you can't handle the computer in your home then get rid of the computer. If you can't handle cable television then get rid of the cable or even the tv. Flee it. For too long we've been trying to deal with stuff that are deadly. Trying to deal with sexual immorality and thinking you can handle it is like thinking you can walk into a nuclear reactor and walk out ok. This sin causes us to devalue life and relationships, others and ourselves. It causes us to lose touch with true love and really caring for people, it just turns people into objects and not children of God or His creation. Men, the ladies that you're having trouble with are someone's daughter, someone's wife or mother. Ladies, those men that you think look so good that might be better than your husband, are someone's husband, someone's brother or son and they are people that are precious to God.
Proverbs 7:26 says, "For she has cast down many wounded and all who are slain by her were strong men".
This seduction has cut down many people who were strong and thought they could handle it but you can't handle it. It has brought down many people: presidents, politicians, preachers, fathers, mighty men, titans of industry, people who thought they had it all together. Right now our world is littered with the landscape of strong people who thought they could handle it. They had money, power and position and they could protect it but they couldn't handle it and neither can you or I. We weren't meant to. God commands us to be pure and holy and His commands are not to rob us of joy, pleasure and fun, but to keep us safe. Someone said all us Christians are just prudes. Listen, I'm a Dad and have 3 kids, there's nothing prudish about any of that. There's a lot of mothers and fathers sitting in this room today; the difference is we understood what it means to have a pure and holy relationship. It's about doing things right and pure and abiding by God's Word so the enemy doesn't get a foothold in our life and destroy it.
In this room there may be men and women right now who are saying this is a struggle in your life. Maybe there's someone at work who is not your husband or wife that you're attracted to: flee and run as fast as you can. Maybe you've got a problem with pornography, in every church this has started to hit home especially in the American church. How many know you can live in victory in Jesus name? The reason why God would have me preach this so strong is because there are a lot of people who have been brought low by this. I am tired of seeing what the devil does to people when it's really as simple as running away from something that's not good. You can do it, you can turn your eyes, turn your head and you can change your mind and that's all you have to do. If you can't do it on your own you have a Savior who will help you called the Holy Spirit who will empower you to resist the enemy and he will flee from you. It's time to let the enemy do the fleeing instead of us doing all the struggling. If your life has been brought low by this, turn to Jesus today, you won't regret it.
The third seduction is the seduction of self. It is amazing how Satan has no problem with us taking our eyes off of God and putting our eyes on us. Just Google the word "Self" and you will be amazed how many hits you get. Self help, self control, self love, self esteem, self actualization, self reliance, self determination, self respect and selfish. The seduction of self is meant to draw us away from having Christ as first place in our life and making sure that we are first place in our life. Number one in our life is to be Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me". How many are thankful that God gave Himself for yourself? The love of God is amazing. When we become a Christian we do say, "It is now no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me". What does it mean? It's no longer about me, it's all about Jesus. How many have found that when life is all about you it gets very empty very fast? We are to take up our cross and follow the Lord. We are to die to ourself and live for Jesus. So the exaltation of self is simply this, pride. This is what seduced Satan, it was the desire to make himself like God. I was watching something on tv the other day and they were blatant talking about God and the end of their whole philosophical thing came down to self, "I am my own God".
Isaiah 14:12-15 gives us the word of how Satan became Satan in the first place. He said, "How you are fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be bought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit".
The moment that we begin to exalt ourself is the moment that we begin to fall. You will never fall faster, harder or farther when you have pride in yourself. Proverbs 16:11 says, "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall".
All three seductions cause us to do harm to ourself. The first two seductions in the word of God tell us to flee from them; flee from sexual immorality and flee from the love of money. But you can't get away from you. It doesn't say to flee from yourself. The only way to undue the seduction of self is to become humble before God. We hate to be humble, our flesh hates it. That's why Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. How many have ever washed somebody's feet? In order to get rid of self, you have to bow before a humble savior. Aren't you glad Jesus wasn't all about Him? Jesus was all about the Father and He was all about us. He gave His life and showed us the way to humble ourselves so you would have the example to do it. In this world today, even in the church, we've become all about us: my time, my stuff, but it really all belongs to Jesus.
Proverbs 11:2 says, "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom". The enemy knows that if he can get you to be all about you then he can mess you up. The moment it all starts to be about you is the moment bad things start happening. How many have found that when you give it all away to Jesus and you live your life for Him, and you live to give to others, your life goes pretty well? But the moment it starts being all about you, everything starts falling out of joint and gets messed up.
In Isaiah it says, "For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with Him as a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones". God says, "I dwell with those who will humble themselves before me".
The church, in our day and age has made it all about us: I need to prosper and I need to do this and that but Jesus said, "If I will be lifted up I will draw all men to Me" and when we, in our life, lift God up then we get drawn to the Savior". When our church services become more about Jesus and less about us, the presence of God is in this place. I believe God is here to help us with our needs but I heard one preacher say that the way you get people is to meet their felt needs, to meet what they need in their life, find out what people need for them. Now I understand that God gave His all for us and that giving is a place of servanthood for the Lord but churches have confused it. We come through those doors and think this building is all about us. But it's not, it's all about Jesus, and when we make it all about Him, miracles happen, lives are changed, people are healed, hearts become soft, minds that are confused become absolutely focused and they can think again. Because with that humility comes wisdom and understanding.
Sometimes getting before God and saying, "I don't understand a thing, teach me your ways and I will walk in your truth", that's humility. Some of you have found that when you humble yourself before God, all of a sudden his truth gets downloaded in you and you begin to understand and begin to live it and it becomes so much better.
Humbling ourselves before almighty God, this is another whole message but I want to ask you this morning, are you high on yourself? Has your head swelled bigger than your spirit? Has life become all about you? If it has, I challenge you to bring yourself to the Lord. God reminds us that the things of this world are temporary. Money is temporary; I have talked with more millionaires who have gained it all, lost it all, got it back again and then lost it again. It came and went. Sex is temporary. That moment that feels so good in the sexual act is temporary, it goes away. Self is temporary, one day you're going to die. It's all temporary but what God gives is eternal. The truth is when we stop making it all about us and we give ourselves to Him, God says He will give us eternal life, then we do live forever. Everything is temporary but what we have with Jesus lasts forever.
