God's Power for Daily Living (Part 7)

Some time ago when I was writing my book. Know your real enemies. Some of you have read it. I had a conversation with the devil. Some of you say what you mean, you talk to the devil quite frequently. In fact, when I had that particular conversation with the devil that was assigned to me by the enemy. He was trying to stop me from writing this book and revealing his tactics. Now I'm not suggesting you should do that.

By the way. Stay behind the battle lines Alyssa God specifically call you to spiritual warfare. But back then the devil began to speak to me in front Henry from writing the book as I do not tell me if you are honest just be honest for a little bit. It can be honest enough as a liar and he lost himself actually deceives himself that he can be honest tell me what kind of a strategy to use in attacking the soldiers of Jesus Christ who are in active duty, you say active duty. Yes, because I you know and I know and the devil knows that he doesn't bother with sleepy Christians. The devil does not bother with Christians who are into idolatry of self worship and self pleasing and self-promoting the devil doesn't bother with a Christian who is living in disobedience. You really doing his work for him. It doesn't have to waste his time when you what the devil told me is what the Bible has already revealed and countless of you already know that he basically has a two-pronged strategy who uses the unbelievers from without, in order to intimidate his people. Then he uses the believers from within.

In order to discourage and dishearten the faithful uses outside forces in order to intimidate the active Christians into silence in order to intimidate active Christians into compromise. But then he uses from within the church. The unsuspecting, the egotistical Christian in order that he might harass, in order that he may hassle. The effective Christian who uses the ungodly forces of the world in order to numb us in doing activities at the same time uses non-discerning Christian within the church to disturb your peace uses the temptation of the world and worldly temptation so that we might get into inaction and then he uses sending Christians to steal our joy. Two-pronged strategy. This two-pronged strategy has been Satan's strategy since the beginning of time it has never changed. He has never modified his strategy has always been the same. He has never deviated from where the lines running around looking for different strategies in every generation, Satan never changes his strategy. It's always been the same.

All he uses a lot of cunning, conniving, scheming.

Yes, he comes at you with such speed that even the greatest of scientists are surprised. Yes, he will choose his time very carefully and very cunningly, but the two-pronged strategy never changes.

This is precisely the strategy he used against the first Church of the apostles you know about the church. The first Church of the apostles was the first Church of Jesus.

While the apostles were the leaders as the work of God began to take hold in Jerusalem as the gospel began to convert people as the gospel began to change lives. As the Holy Spirit began to convert people and consecrate them as the early church began spiritual success. If you like.

Satan moved in with two-pronged strategy from without is stirred up trouble through the Jewish rulers, the Jewish leaders from within. He deceived and misled unsuspecting, careless, insecure, egotistical church members by appealing to their fragile egos. Dr. Luke makes it very clear that this particular persecution was not coming from the pagan world. It was not coming from the Romans that this particular persecution later on the gun have their troubles with the Romans, but this particular persecution was coming from the religious leaders. This type of persecution was instigated by the Sadducees. Now let me just stop for a moment and tell you a few things about the Sadducees and when I'm through, you will understand exactly who they are and who are there equivalents in our society because we got them.

Believe me, I dealt with them. I've known them on first name basis, the Sadducees, where the ruling class of the wealthy aristocracy, the Sadducees, where the politically correct liberal establishment, the Sadducees, where the religious people who ingratiated themselves with the media lords of the day. The Sadducees believed that the messianic age had come and gone and they no longer looking for a Messiah as the rest of the Jewish sects. The Sadducees were the ones who did not. The Old Testament doctrine of the resurrection of the body hit so you can understand the heart burns when the apostles were running around saying we saw Jesus would own eyes rising from the and did not like that one bit. In fact of them. That was a Maalox moment so many things about the Sadducees that prompted a good friend of mine back many years ago in Sydney Australia to call them. They are said you see, but they were not alone receive misery loves company, so there were not alone. Dr. Luke tells us of the Jewish rulers of the temple.

The elders of the Jewish Temple of the Jewish tribes, the priests of the temple, including the current high priest and the former high priest was his father-in-law. The teachers of the law, or if you like. These were the professors of divinity and theology, and of the universities that were altogether on this deal. All in all, there were six categories that Luke tells us six categories of people plus some unidentified individuals that we don't know who they are all united in opposition against the teaching of the supremacy of Jesus Christ is what they were doing.

They did not like the preaching of the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ and that is why all these miserable groups got together and got united. Why were those groups of people who are normally can't stand each other. I mean, the Sadducees and the Pharisees were at each other's throat. They literally hate each other's guts.

I mean they burns each other, they got together and they got united what Luke tells us why.

Chapter 4 of acts, verse two, he said because the apostles were giving an eyewitness account of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why, but why did they put the apostles on trial would question one over arching reason is that they wanted to intimidate.

They wanted to intimidate them.

They wanted to silence them. They have no legal case so they resorted to intimidation, as if to say, well, let's see, let's see how you gonna behave after one night in prison. I'll let you cool your heels and in the slammer for for Nitin to see how high going to take that. Let's just see what's going to happen to you as break their spirits and I think once we shake them up a little bit intimidate them a little bit. I think they gonna cave-in has ostracized less alley and make them less tell them that they are out of the mainstream, less tell them that there are extremist let's tell them that there are bigoted and there are sectarians left.

Tell them that their views are to be silenced and the sooner the better. Why, why go to all this trouble because they were afraid lest people hear the truth believe the truth and embrace the truth. In fact, verse four ask for Luke tells us that many who heard the message believed in the number grew to 5000. Remember only two weeks ago there were 3060% increase that is a real threat to a politician now.

Not only does Satan strategy never changes but it always listen to me carefully.

It always fails to intimidate the faithfulness it will always fail to intimidate the faithfulness listen to.

I'm going to tell you I know all about intimidation's many of you know that I know all about intimidation's that are designed to silence the preaching of the word of God are used to get regular calls that were designed to silence me.

The only success they had at this wasted bit of my time little bit of my energy, but that could never hinder the word of God. In fact I read recently about the lawyer in the court of law. The lawyers please forgive me ahead of time before I get all the way to the to the story to story this lawyer in the courtroom was trying to intimidate a witness. The story was that there was a farmer who caught a man on his land and accused this man off shooting his pigeons on his farm so the lawyer was trying to intimidate the farmer into dropping all of the charges so the lawyer with who had a flair for the dramatic sup said now I prepared to testify that this man shot to pigeons, formalists smarter than the lawyer who said I didn't say he shot the is said that I said that I suspect that he shot the lawyer of course exploded. Now you're coming to it. What made you suspecting the farmer quietly said well you said first of all, I caught him on my land with a gun. Secondly, he said the I heard the gun being shot and I saw the pigeons fall and sadly he said I found for my pigeons in his pocket, and they did not flew in there to commit suicide. And that's what was happening in this kangaroo court in the year 33 A.D. in Jerusalem. Peter and the apostles were being intimidated into silence. But the evidence were unless you see all of the facts were on the side and Peter responded to the Sanhedrin was such irrefutable evidence that they know really what role they did not know how to react what to say he} you must never be afraid to stand up for the truth of the gospel. You must never be bullied or intimidated into silence. The facts on your side, the historical evidence on the side.

The truth is on your side and God is on your side ask for it shows us the bafflement when they could not refute the evidence.

They said that these fellows didn't go to the right skills. This is absolutely unbelievable. These guys didn't even get proper education.

They did not have the right shows. But we have to admit we just have to confess that I have brought us to be with the truth they have God as being with the facts that have, God is bamboozled with dense our minds were Saul made up but there are confusing us with the facts and Peter shows him how ludicrous their argument processes look resting is because of a miracle is that what you're resting is for me tell you something the enemy is never logical because they don't have the truth on the side. Are you harassing us because we believe in the supernatural God is only doing are you trying to intimidate us because we saw a man who was crippled for 14 years and now he's standing before you in perfect health is not what you know exactly what they were doing what they want before I run out of time and I just got to the introduction I want to share with you and I want you to notice the four things about Satan's attack from without. Make note of them their bottommost importance. You see what the evil one means for evil.

What Satan means for evil God always can turn it around for this loving and bring good out of it and uses it for good. Joseph taught us that his brothers hated him and then he thought they got rid of him, but God had a bigger plan for Joseph.

See the evil one means it for evil but God turns it brings good out of it. Satan wanted to destroy the first church, but instead the following things happen number one Peter and the apostles become more courageous and fearless like they have never thought they could the apostles want not be silenced. Even the threat of their lives. Peter would've run if that was two months earlier. Let me remind you of something that you already know there is nothing more aggravating to a bully than when you take your stand.

Nothing more aggravating to a bully than you refusing to give in by large bullies are cowards. They really are there cowards and when you stand your ground.

They will show the true color he} when you are wrapped up with a full arm of God you can stir down the enemy when you're standing behind your commander-in-chief.

You will make your intimate not only blink but fully, but you notice one thing here very important very important when the apostles talked about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The members of the Sanhedrin did not dispute the evidence. Why did not dispute the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ because they couldn't. That's why standing on the truth gives you courage, standing on the rock of ages gives you the strength to do what you think in your flesh to be impossible. Standing on the power of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ will embolden you to become fearless, wildly persecution of the attack of the enemy from without first gave encouragement. Secondly, because of the attack from without the apostles experienced incredible solidarity among themselves. Persecution strengthens the true believers. Persecution binds them together. Persecution unites the true believers.

Persecution draws the true believers to each other unto the Lord that you and I don't like the devil's attack. If you do something wrong with him in you and I don't seek the devil's attack. We don't. You and I don't enjoy the devil's attack, but there is nothing that will draw you closer to the Lord.

Nothing that will draw you closer to your brothers and sisters in Christ than the enemy's attack please him right.

The reason the churches in the West are fat and unhappy is because they do not know what it is to truly be persecuted for the name of Jesus. When I travel overseas. I get all fired up by the strength of the persecuted believers attack from without, gave the apostles courage the attack from without buying them together in solidarity. Thirdly, attack from without help the apostles to turn the persecution into a pulpit I'm in, far from cowering to the intimidation.

The attack soon okay okay I'll be nice please just leave me alone I want say anything.

I'll try to be winsome.

I'll try to be a nice guy. Just get us out of here and we will do whatever you tell us to do. I mean I just not going to take a stand anymore. I've had enough of this one. Not in jail is enough.

I'll do whatever you asked me to know. In fact, Peter said, let me tell you about Jesus supply is your only hope is your only way to salvation. On the way to heaven and you turn to him and repent of your sins believe in him beloved. What the world is desperate for is not more compromisers the world has its feel of that they not looking for people who know how to compromise and get along and stamp on the principles and in the conviction they see through that what the world is desperately looking for someone who would say with Martin Luther here I stand for. I can do no other.

The enemies attack gives you courage that you never thought possible. The enemies attack binds you together with your brothers and sisters in Christ, the enemies attack from without help you turn the persecution into appropriate, but there's 1/4 thing that I see here in this passage about Satan's attack from without it cause the church to be appraising and praying church versus 23 all the way to 28 when Peter and John were released they got into the church and they began to praise God.

They began to petition God to begin to trust God afresh to begin to trust God in you in a way that would never been able to before. When faced with opposition when faced with enemies attack. They took comfort in the sovereignty of God in their talk us to our they had confidence that God is in control of all things out of perplexity. They knew that the Lord will not forsake you would not be able to experience a until you come under attack. Far from succumbing to temptation in the face of satanic attack from without the become bold firms from being anxious to compromise and try to get peace at any price they become fearless and courageous. As a result, the place shook in the field of the Holy Spirit. They demonstrated the power of God in word and indeed let me ask you this, as I conclude, are you under attack begin by praising God.

Are you harassed by the enemy. Praise God learn how to praise God. Are you feeling defeated sing praises to the Lord. I attempted to compromise, sing praises to the Lord. I attempted to give sing praises to the Lord, do you feel that you cannot take the heat of the battle anymore.

Sing praises to the Lord for the enemies attack can only make you more courageous bring into solidarity with your brothers and sisters and help you to turn your persecution into appropriate in your pain into price, shall we pray, some of you probably feeling bitter towards God because you're being attacked when you really have not done anything wrong and you asking why the Holy Spirit of God wants you to know why he wanted you to know why today and whatever it is that you're going through, it could never be worse than what the apostles experienced in the very God who walked with them will walk with you the very God who strengthened them will strengthen you, when you repent of that bitterness right now say Lord Jesus, strengthen me to have victory in you father.

You are a magnificent God, you're an awesome God. It's only enough foolishness that we doubt you.

It's only not stupidity in allowing the enemy in the flesh to conspire to bring down to our lives that we doubt will father this day be the day of courage Dave conviction Dave consecration. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that's LTW.Ward