Diabolical - Agenda #1 - Divide and Conquer, Part 2

You've probably heard God is a wonderful plan for your life. Did you know that Satan has a plan for your life as well.

That's right. Satan's plan has three easy steps. He wants to kill, steal and destroy everything you love and cherish and will stop at nothing to accomplish his agenda. The good news is we know his tactics and his methods today will help you learn how to protect yourself from his diabolical plan and keep you from falling prey to this. Thanks for joining us for this edition of living only a refrigerator but Scripture Bible teacher for this international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christian. This program should continue the series diabolical. Satan's agenda provided earth including you are assuring ways the disciples in acts chapter 6 themselves since it how you intend to put just before we get started, let me encourage you to download chips free message notes from LivingontheEdge.org this resource contains chips outlined Scripture references and much more. His notes will help you take what you're about to hear and apply it to your everyday life. Now here's chip for part two of his message. Divide and conquer. Acts chapter 6 understand really what's going on here early church is thoroughly Jewish. At this point and in Jewish culture. Every Friday morning they will go out to buy two to the market. People sold the market and home to home and they would ask for donations for the poor for that day.

They would then go to the outer court and their obedience is waiting on tables. Don't think of them like you, not a restaurant. There were these tables and the apostles were at these tables. Different groups will go around and then they would bring food and some money and if you are desperate people to get paid by the month people got paid for that day's work. So some people came at the end of the day.

They didn't have any money didn't have any food for tomorrow and so they would come and they could get a meal or some money), or if you are a widow mean there's no social systems whatsoever, you would get 14 meals that would give you two meals a day for the next seven days and so is the oversight of this that the apostles were doing along so the preoperational strong job so they step back and delegate that and they get to the core issue which was how we stay on track. Let's not allow these differences were there starting to blame one another. This could have divided and ruined the church. Notice also here that the cure is new wine demands new wineskins. The presenting problem is these widows are getting a food. The disciples response is our goal has to remain the same. We can't allow the differences to divide us, so leaders step back, reevaluate roles and priorities to make sure the needs get met now one of the things you gotta remember about how this would play out those let's just take this and let's say there's a lady even in that day to live in your 80s that that they would be tremendous and let's just say there's a widow named Gladys and the say the church will just you know is probably been through four months and an Gladys. She came to know that her 14 meals and every time she came she came to Peter's table because he's such a nice young man. Now she really likes Peter used to be a loudmouth and used to be little impulsive in his life's really changed in the glasses used to coming up in getting food from Peter such a nice young man reminds me of my son. My grandson actually but and then she comes in next day and Stephen was Peter while he's praying and working on some passages in a work get up a movement to take the entire world and that's kind of his responsibility. I want Peter to give me my food. I it's not good food and peered if he really cared and loved me he would be here doing this that you understand when you change priorities.

The ripple effects. If people see the big picture effect. What you see in this passage is in the first half of this passage, you see differences that could have divided and you get wise leadership and will talk about our practical application. The minute in the second half of the passage.

You'll notice now that Stephen it's it's more than these guys just waiting on tables. You basically have part of Judaism having a worship service in Hebrew. Another part of Judaism having a worship service in Greek.

But now this group is giving oversight after giving oversight. Stephen now begins to have ministry more than just the subject pick up in verse eight, and you see that something happens, but the division and the desire and the differences get people doing some very, very ungodly things. Watch how the enemy gets into this nest.

Stephen verse eight, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition rose. However, from members of the synagogue of the freedmen as it was called. They were Jews from Sirena and Alexandria, as well as men of the providence of Celestia and Asia. So these are these Greek speaking people who come into town. Stephen is one of them he's doing is amazing miracles. He's authenticating that Christ is the Messiah. These men began to argue with Stephen but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the spirit by which he spoke as other same way a second Stephen what are you talking about, you can't change anything about the law. Stephen would say no. Christ fulfilled the law. What about the temples. He would say not yet. We had a temple, and that was a former day in this temple is important. We are now the temple of God and so Stephen is applying all that Jesus said it is causing this huge division and every time he speaks they attack and he just goes back and says what doesn't. This Old Testament passage say that and they can't refute it but say here's what happens when change or growth begins to mess with your world and my world there certain traditions and habits that keep us comfortable and sometimes we don't want any truth, and we don't want the change in the implications of truth, and the enemy gets in and instead of it being different or I need to grow the enemy gets in and says you know what you gotta take that person out as soon notice what happens then they secretly persuaded nothing to choose.

They know the commandments. These are people that we love God we honor God, Yahweh, you know, so they basically persuade people to speak against him and say that Stephen is been speaking words of blasphemy against Moses and against God. So then they stirred up the people notice division and elders and the teachers law and they see Stephen they brought before the Sanhedrin, which is that the ruling Council of the Jews and it produced false witnesses who testified the Stella never stop speaking against this holy place against the law for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs of Moses handed down to us and I've taken some truths and just tilted in such a way. All who were sitting the Sanhedrin look intently at Stephen and they solve.

His face was like the face of an angel first part of the chapter differences potential division wisdom, the church continues to grow roles change paradigms change people understand we need to stay on track. Our differences aren't wrong. It's just a different day. I need to be flexible I need to respond. I need to hear God's voice. The second group just the opposite. The change threatens their power threatens their security. Let's talk about you and me. So where do we go from here. What are specific ways that principles we can apply because this division to conquer. He wants to ruin your marriage you're single person in Dayton so monitor your single person and you have some really good friends.

He wants to ruin your friendships a little miscommunication here.

Less communication here in a text here in a voicemail there. All I think she meant that she said that I don't want to destroy you. You need understand that agenda is flowing toward you. 24 seven.

So here are some practical principles at the first signs of disunity number one, don't be defensive. Listen objectively. I love the apostles. I mean, they could as a way second.

We so I'm rise from the dead, don't you worry about these widows will take care this and instead it was listen. Maybe there's an issue we don't understand were overwhelmed right now. We can't meet all the needs they listened objectively. If you have any sense of division.

If you have any resentment.

If there's someone that you're not getting along with just let's stop and before you blame and shame and it's all them just just listen. Second get to the core issue and refuse to blame get to the core issue. The issue was not the widows, the way she was that the system was broken.

The unmet needs wasn't because someone was trying to do something intentionally wrong, but that's what they were thinking right. It wasn't that they they missed your phone call. It wasn't that you know they married you, and then try to make your life miserable right get to the core issues.

I mean it's crazy me any you get attracted find that you're living with this person is that we really really wonderful and then you find they do like really what you think is stupid stuff like the toilet paper is to go this way. Not that way and any commandant in the toothpaste to squeeze from the middle you will. And what's with her.

I told her sometimes hits from the bottom and you wind it up because it's wasteful. I sleep on the side that want to sleep on the side. I wanted to be 70° tonight, but I know that's too much energy is gonna be 60 Joe and it starts with stuff like that and that is pretty soon your parents are this way minor. That way you spend money over here. Will anybody could wear that many parishes I can play golf not being mom being long right business symptoms. Those are never the problems in churches. It's the same what there's differences yet to learn to communicate. Gotta step back, they will have a second what's the core issue here is the disconnect.

What's the value what's it mean to love one another in churches is never about we should have criminals instead of slides. We should organs and stained glass with electric guitars.

Those are the issues everyone should have a key. Don't you have a key.

We should use this room instead of that room where they kick us out of this trip. All of those are symptoms.

Differences provide in an environment of rapid change and growth and opportunity for division to occur in the most subtle of ways and we feel justified in self righteous in speaking evil of others and blaming others, and it divides marriages and it breaks up friendships and ruin small groups and it goes on Facebook and we texted to one another and we have no idea that that his diabolical insane gets his agenda done and no one's thinking about demons or evil, or the exorcist. He doesn't need to.

He's got pushing his agenda. Gotta get to the core issue. Third, seek outside help is that there's 1/3 alternative, the disciple said you know what we're all Hebrew Jewish boys we got a Hellenistic speaking problem where we get the seven wisest, most godly, smartest Hellenistic Greek speaking Jews and asked them what we ought to do and how to do it and then why don't we delegated and why we stay in what only we can do an address this issue. That way there is 1/3 alternative. It wasn't feed them more or do them less. It was it's time to change the paradigm the new wine demands new wineskins without a change.

Truth never changes. Methods roles always change it. So for some of you know what you been banging on each other. There's 1/3 alternative. It's not your writer. She's right, go to a quality Christian counselor and sit down and get the issues on the table and get down to the core. There's 1/3 alternative unit friendship can find a good friend that you both trust and sit down and stop sending stuff the people and stop talking to other people and go directly to them with a humble heart, not blaming, not defensive and say I know were brothers or sisters or whatever in Christ and God wants unity and we don't have it when we need to do get outside help. The third alternative well have to worship the same well don't have to have the same stop we don't have to like the same music, but we have to our allegiance to Christ and those coming to Christ and as a come to Christ. Mature and those are mature, loving and caring for people before is be flexible except roles and priorities were always changing. Healthy growing environments are elderly lady Gladys who likes to get her stuff from Peter just needs to know. You know something God's agenda is bigger and more important than her personal preference, and by the way, we all have to do that all the time you got to do that with friend you gotta do that in a small group to do that in your marriage what you have you ever stopped to ask what is God's agenda.

In this conflict on having my marriage. What is God's agenda.

In this conflict. They were having the small group what is God's agenda. In these parts of you know this Ingram guy. He's just doing some stuff on it one week. I like you in the next. I just hate him, and then you and I can't say that because it's so ungodly, so I just email sort of these passive-aggressive little things other people and tell them I'm not sure this is really where we gotta note were not all can agree on every which is different. A lot of this is an right or wrong we can be flexible except you know every season. Roles change priorities change things to be different when things are growing there alive when they stop growing and there the way we like them all the time.

Here's what you need to know your dying fist refused to fear change means different not wrong to the disciples that they weren't afraid of the conflict it was. Here's the deal. It's normal.

Conflict is not even that is just normal, but the synagogue of the freedmen. They were afraid there for the power before the shift there afraid that their roles and their way was going to get changed and so it produced some very, very negative, unhealthy and godly behavior.

Finally, beware our perceived loss of control and power makes us vulnerable to decide divisive words and behavior.

I mean they they lost power, deny, and pretty soon there followers of God, and they're getting false witnesses there followers of God in their making up stories. Have any of us ever done that any of us ever made up stories about how it's going. You know, with the relationship or how it's going to marry George, you know, we talk with one another. I'm always amazed I do a lot of studying in coffee shops. Tonight I'd I do not try and listen to people but some of them just talk so loud and and I mean you try the some time on enough I should say that, but maybe not on purpose.

Listen and and just like ask yourself of the five conversations I heard was there even one were two people weren't talking about someone else that didn't measure up to their expectations or did something to them.

I studied about three hours in a Starbucks around the corner and you know you not. People hear people here people there and I was there for two hours so they rotate no new group came and I just I'm studying this when you know what my Waterloo I just don't know what you think about that boyfriend Libby and I just you know your team did you have no respect for me in a narrow room you want to know who my supervisor I tell you what this whole job thing and I mean it was just lucky geek geek geek and I just wonder if Satan is laughing and dividing. Here's what scares me.

I know when I've been faced with differences and when I've been wounded and what I don't like the change.

I have been person and in sophisticated ways, with an occasional Bible verse wrapped inside of it. I have made other people look bad.

I had a season of my life where I thought my view was the truth.

I was convinced I was. It was such a disease in my life. Earlier I actually wrote on the card. My perspective of this situation is not necessarily the truth. It's simply my perspective it may or may not have anything to do with reality and I read it over and over and over and over. So when something comes to me or a person comes to me or I look at something I can just be at least try to be like the disciples and step back and say no way a second. My immediate reaction is that Saddam that's ungodly. This is the way it is. I shouldn't do that, and I responded in that way at times, only to find out I didn't have all the facts that his objective is.

I think I am. I'm not. I actually come from a background in a language in the set of values, and I look at things like this and sometimes are not like this. There like this and what I know when there's conflict in differences in division emerging.

Whether it's in my marriage or with a close friend or with a group of elders or with a staff member or was someone out on the basketball court. What I know is that whatever I'm feeling that makes me want to blame and divide Satan's at work and I need to realize you know what this is how I see it, but how I see it isn't necessarily reality or true and so I don't want to be defensive and I don't want to blame, and when asked some questions and with humility. I'm going to say our unity matters more than me getting things the way I think they ought to be, and I ask what's God's agenda. Some of you need to probably go to a counselor get some of those differences on the table.

Some of you may walk out of here and say you know something I've never thought of myself being divisive, I talk about other people all the time and I complain and I grumble and ME like I do it in very sophisticated ways that when something comes out of your mouth or my mouth. And when were done.

Someone looks at the person you're talking to less than when we opened our mouth. It's divisive it can be slanderous.

It could be gossip and you can take that and go to the front of your notes and write it in the box that says diabolical because that's what God thinks of it. You think there's a reason why there is 575,000 different denominations on how many there are just made that up. Every time someone gets wound will start her own group will start her own group were starting group will start her own group. Could it be that the real issue of the vision that we talked about of a powerful, supernatural work.

The problem isn't there. The problem isn't the hardened hearts of this secular community. Could it be the lack of unity and the acceptance of what I would call moderate disunity that we live with and a sense of superiority of those that are outside of Christ or different than us. Could it be that that very thing is what holds and limits the power of the Holy Spirit to pour out blessing through us and transform this place. The way he has done in past and that maybe the next step isn't the big thing out there. It's the first thing in here and every single one of us saying. Boy do I need to apologize to someone I can tell this person. There's cold this between us. I need to ask someone is there are things right between us.

Is there an issue we need to deal with and just say God my perspective out. I have no idea whether it's right. True wrong. Here's what I know that there's agreeing to disagree in coming together around unity and forgiving.

Even what you don't understand is way, way better than allowing any kind of disunity that you know that is Satan's agenda divide and conquer. I'd want to sweetest moments with God in another human being that that ever had here about three months ago. I have a I had a very divisive painful. I could give you pages and pages of pages me feeling how I was wrong in many ways with this individual and I think he could've had a list equally of me and I took years to thank God, pray for him.

I'm practicing being Romans 12 Christian doing doing all that. And I happen to be doing something in a city where I knew he was in early in the morning God.

Probably what you call and ask him if he was have lunch.

Oh Lord, you have already forgiven him. I just want to be around him nothing and the forgiven him, and it will ship this is were not negotiable. I'm not giving suggestions. I want you to understand that unity really matters to me and cannot heard some good things about him that I actually rejoice.

So I know it really forgiven them. We sat in another city for two hours and I had lunch with the man in and we both came to a point of tears were. He looked at me and I never thought I'd hear this is Chip I am so sorry.

I don't know what happened. I really don't even know what happened. How I know what I was thinking that Hannah got ugly.

Didn't I said it did said John same here. I know you're a godly man I know you love God, we look each other in it. We pray together. The ask about my family and I'll never forget walking out of there and getting in that car and driving back to the hotel and tears coming down my face thinking we have a redemptive God we have a forgiving God. He can take the worst and pull it back together and I thought, oh Jesus, that's your agenda. That's his agenda for your marriage in your small group and with your kids with your friends with a coworker that doesn't even know Christ.

That's his agenda takes power got it because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the very words of Jesus. His last prayer on the earth. And it's interesting want you to lean back wherever you are and just listen as we thought about how diabolical division is and what it does.

This is what Jesus prayed for his disciples, and this is what he prays today for you and for me. Holy father protect them, but I power of your name. The name that you gave me so they may be one even as we are one.

My prayer is not you take them out of the world, but you protect them from the evil one. My prayer is not for them alone.

I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that they all of that may be one father even as you are in me and I am in. You may also be one in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I've given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you and me.

May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me to hear what Jesus is praying that let me ask you what relationship, what situation, what person in your life. Is there a need for repair. There's bitterness there's unforgiveness. There's disunity. There's resentment wears unity be being threatened where's division occurring today. I want you to identify that one person in your life and I want you to ask God to give you the grace and the power to say I will not allow the enemy's agenda to kill and to steal and to destroy true division own whatever part you need to own. Ask God to forgive you. Ask him to help you to be humble as I shared your I went through a very difficult time having to own up to my part of a very hard situation. Ask him to give you that grace and asking to give you the courage to do what ever it takes as far as it depends on you to bring about unity. Father I pray in Jesus name that right now you bring people to the minds of those that are listening and that you would give encourage and faith and grace to take steps that repair that unite that the world may know that you sent your son Jesus. Amen.

It's a Greek word Chip thanks while you're listening to Living on the Edge in this message. Divide and conquer is from chip series diabolical. Satan's agenda for planet Earth, including you. Many Christians are naïve, decedent schemes and head into their day-to-day lives, unprepared and unprotected, but in reality Satan does his best work in subtle ways and unassuming attraction a little doubt here a little cynicism there or a calendar loaded down with religious activity.

These are dangerous and effective glories and were all vulnerable because were all targets of Satan's agenda chip chart for this series is to open your eyes to the devils, truly diabolical plots both confrontational and unseen as you listen to the series. We hope you'll feel properly equipped to defend yourself and your family for all the series information and resources for diabolical visit LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 83336003 that's LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 83336003 hapless nurse Special offers which of the story you told about reconciling with your friend was such a powerful reminder of why unity is important and what's key about unity is that it empowers us to get over ourselves and start serving. Whether it's in our family, or even places we would never expect that Dave have you ever listen to someone talk about helping a pastor in another country.

I mean, may be a very poor country like India or a pastor in China with all the restrictions are, you know, maybe in the Middle East in Iran or Iraq. And you thought I wish I could go. I mean I wish I could go and help that pastor help the people in that church, but is just impossible to restrict the country or know with your job, your life, your family, you can't go or what I want you to know is that as you both listen to Living on the Edge and as you give to Living on the Edge you're actually going. One of the most amazing thing that has happened in the last five years is this extension of Living on the Edge all across the globe, but especially to pastors been to China. Seven times in the last for five years I we do things in the Middle East. I've met with people in Yemen then and sat across the table from people who there's a contract out on their life. I want you to know that as you give to Living on the Edge God is taken. What were doing to pastors and to people that are hurting and literally giving them God's word and strength and encouragement during the crisis of covert on never forget being on call as soon call and they asked me to speak and there were 300 cities from India going through all the horrendous things that you see on the news and they said we need help. We need encouragement. And so I met with those people did webinars and seminars and then we translated into 16 languages.

If you care about the world about those that are hurting. As you give to Living on the Edge. It's being extended here and all across the globe. Thank you so much for all of you have given so sacrificially, and thank you to those of you that say I'd like to get in on that you can do it now. What a great challenge will if you want to help us pursue our mission to teach God's word knows a great time for you to become a financial partner because right now, thanks to a small group of friends of the ministry. Every gift we received between now and July 6 will be doubled. Your 40 becomes 8400 becomes 804,000 becomes 8000 to make a donation. Just give us a call at AAA 83336003, or if you prefer to give online. Our web address is LivingontheEdge.org app listeners just Donate.

Thank you for praying and doing whatever the Lord leads you to do know a great way to stay engaged and connected to chip and Living on the Edge is with the Chip Ingram map, you'll get free access to all of Chip's recent messages is message notes and much more. Not only that, but it couldn't be easier to call or email directly from the app will be with us again next time she continues his series diabolical.

Until then, this is the very thing thanks for listening for this Edition of Living on the Edge