Diabolical - Agenda # 3 - Intimidate and Isolate, Part 2

Have you ever seen someone perform a judo move. I mean like a 90 pound woman completely flip a 200 pound man. It's amazing. Even more amazing is what I call spiritual judo is when God takes the worst of our lives and flips them to become the greatest opportunities for our growth. If you're facing some really tough stuff today. Stick around. God wants to do some spiritual judo on your most challenging circumstances.

Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with children Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live what Christian if you're in a difficult season of life right now.

Hard to step back and see it as a part of God's plan continues in a series diabolical ways. The disciples struggled this concept of God. Early church through hardship and persecution with that.

If you have a Bible turnout acts chapter 8 for part two of chips message intimidate and isolate trees and I were walking downtown.

Many, many years ago Santa Cruz like weird weird and weird are right we see things we go to Santa Cruz by summing the musicians route. The crazy stuff going on and there's this big moccasin it's outside of a bar area and people starting to gather and there's this guy you can tell he's the bouncer you know the black T-shirt is about this wide and then returns us what you're missing. Those guys are chest of the spec at six months old. He start lifting weights on how they do a big big arms like this and would like to drunk guys in the sky can handle him. Someone is called the police.

A crowd gathering in a police car comes in this please. Our car comes on honey get back to when the settlements can happen, you know, I'm and so this time pulls up on the curb just a little bit and it's like I wonder what can happen. Door opens and allays what I'm about to say this is not pejorative, listen to the entire story before you think I'm he's done on women I'm not down on women. But I'm thinking there's this huge strong bouncer that can handle these two guys that are just, I mean their sauced.

The car pulls up. The door opens and out steps like a 4 foot 11 woman police officer and ongoing. This is going to be good and what I saw there became a picture in my mind about spiritual warfare of never forgotten that young woman got out got behind about 20 feet gentlemen standdown and all of a sudden three hens went around and she's got her hand on here and she's on clipping her gun and they got sober instantly and then she said gentlemen right now. Hands on the front of the car hood.

Do you understand you know bouncer couldn't do it but a little 4 foot 11, 5 foot woman can you know why she can.

She's got a badge right here. This is the full authority of the state of California is behind her for squaring Christ the full authority of God in heaven and his resurrected son and his shed blood. We are in Christ. Second, she had a weapon that they didn't then you can know you can be big you can be strong kung fu, karate 45 relieves all that you have to be very big in the Bible says that we have the sword of the Spirit which is the spoken word of God.

And when you understand who you are and how to use that God can immobilize us. Thousands and thousands and thousands of people into the people that share were not ashamed to say I love Jesus. I'm not anti-intellectual. I'm not a big I'm not politically correct. I love Jesus is the name above every name in heaven and on earth, and his word is true, and I live in one of the most politically correct places in all the world and I'm unashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation and the issue is you won't have to be in them often happen in your suffering and your pain and in the mate left you an upside down house and the child is having a struggle and in your loneliness and your cancer biopsy and they will share life and he wants the power of Jesus in you and you know what happened there open your neighbors are open you coworkers are open. The people where you work out or open. The people the coffee shops are open where you get your dry cleaning that are open. 87% of all people in America pray Christian or not they're looking for hope, not from weird zealous better than Christians, but real people handling real problems and were you just love that God can do is not to do it. There's no big program coming people. There's no big formula. There's no superstars worshiping in the ass.

Notice what happens after this big, good versus evil event. There is a warning and the warning occurs in this man named Simon in the mornings can have to do with genuine versus counterfeit faith in here. We pick up the story in verse 18 when Simon saw that the spirit was given to the laying on of the apostles hands, he offered the money and said give me this ability so that everyone who I lay my hands on. They received the Holy Spirit. Peter answered major money perish with you because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money you have no part or share in this ministry because your heart is not right before God.

Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord, perhaps, will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart is not the God would be unforgiving Peter saying when you come clean from the heart for real, for I see that you are full of bitterness and your captive to sin. When Simon answered pray to the Lord so that nothing you said will happen to me and then when Peter and John testified, and proclaim the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem and announce what they're doing these there preaching the gospel where in many Samaritan villages. I mean, there's a breakthrough, but it's very interesting. This is like there's a story and there's like in parentheses. By the way Simon everyone who quote believes intellectual assent and goes through some external ritual baptism, communion, raising a hand walking forward. Here's the truth intellectual assent and external ritual does not constitute saving faith. Simon sought to use God in the paragraph before it said and Simon believed the same word is used in James chapter 2 verses 19 and 20 doesn't always mean saving faith is seven says the demons also believe that shutter the demons believe that Jesus is the son of God. The demons believe he's a Savior of the world.

The demons believe it has the event have personal saving relationship.

They intellectually agree with those truths. Second thing, there's a lot of people that have, ritual. Everyone else is getting baptized. Simon says hey. Then I had this kind of power they got more power.

I want that power. Simon tried to use God.

There was a change of heart.

We learn later. He wants the benefits of the power for his own personal use. He intellectually agrees with what's happening but there's no been internal transformation apart. Now I want to say something and you need to just ask God to give you real ears to hear right now.

The last probably 15 to 30 some years there's been sort of a new gospel is made into the church is gone all around the world and the new gospel goes something like this, you may have tried Buddhism self-help books, seminars, you may have worked that this job tried that and somewhere along the line someone said what you try Jesus. Jesus came and paid for your sin he wants to make you healthy must make you wealthy.

He wants to make everything work out.

I just believe in Jesus you will be upwardly mobile your kids all turn out right and basically Jesus has very suddenly become your personal self-help genie to fulfill your agenda and what you really want to do is use him to get what you want what you think will make you happy and fulfilled. That's a big word now fulfilled that when things get kinda hard or when hard side. Following this, Jesus, it's like you know I'm really not interested in that. It's what can he do for me as a consumer mentality. It's a Simon mentality.

A lot of what is very clear about what it means to follow him. Christians 8/10 in America. Just disregard about very clear teaching about morality very clear teaching about relationships very clear teaching about commitment about 8/10. Their lifestyle, their priorities, their speech, their love her lack of love. There it doesn't line up with Jesus.

Here's the danger. This is from Jesus lips. The most famous sermon, Jesus ever gave was called the sermon on the Mount and he said watch out for false prophets.

Chapter 7. They come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. It's by their fruit you will recognize them and he says the good fruit is on good trees and bad fruit is on bad trees. Regardless what the externals people say it's the fruit. The evidence, the results he says not everyone is says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven. On that day of judgment. Many will say to me Lord, Lord, and we prophesy in your name did we drive out demons and perform many miracles that I will say to them plainly. I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers, you had external religion.

We even got involved in some service but he said you know something. There wasn't a change of heart. There was a real relationship is therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice. He's like a wise man built his house on the rock and the rain comes down in the waters rise in the wind blows and the beats against it, but the house remains because it's on the rock. But every single person who hears these words of mine and does not obey is like a person who builds a house on the sand in the rains, and that streams rise in the wind blows my my observation is we we may have hundreds of thousands if not millions of people in the church that are convinced that they have personal relationship with God, but by the fruit of their life just a great possibility.

Don't make me there.

Like Simon, you intellectually believe you believe Jesus, yes, you son of God.

Yesterday got across yesterday rose from bed.

Yes, intellectually, have you ever recognize that your life has offended holy God. And you have to turn from that sin.

And it's in receiving that grace and following him, not just the parts that you like and it's not about Kim fulfilling your agenda. It's he is God and you follow him with loyalty and therefore the fruits are compassion and a love and a sacrifice and a commitment.

Were you become more and more like Jesus. What his word is precious to you where you talk to him where there's top issues but he is transforming your life safer. A lot of people you just come once a month a couple times a month to check a box your shade more moral than the next person. But Jesus is a self-help appendage to you as you live your life and God brought you in this room on this day so you could fear not settle the issue today. If there's any doubt in your mind. You don't have to be afraid thinking you know something better thinking right now.

You know, I'm not sure I never thought about it like that and it's so crept into the life of the church.

It just let's just stop right now. Let's settle that for some of you you not sure today is the day of salvation. If you've never placed your faith and repented of your sin and said I want to follow him listed at right now, Lord, I ask you because you know every heart you know every situation and you love us cut is out of your great love that you paid the price for sin. Not that that would be the end but the beginning because I invite you not just to follow along in a prayer of a transfer of trust in focus from you to accept the forgiveness of Christ and follow him in your mind, your heart just just just pray, dear God, I admit, I need you today.

I don't want to use you or manipulate you. I want to submit and follow you.

I ask you to forgive me right now.

I believe you died paid for my sin. I believe you rose from the dead, bodily, and you sit at the right hand of the father, and I ask you to come into my life and I tell you want to follow you and I desperately need your help, Lord, will you convince and overwhelm those who in their heart of hearts have turned from sand to follow you. Would you flood them with your love. Encourage faith in Christ and then were now you see something that's absolutely amazing beginning in verse 26 to the end of the chapter. The gospel is now going to do what Jesus said after two years it stuck in Jerusalem. It was meant for evil by the enemy. Fear and isolation, but the spirit of God's and they were going to do the spiritual jujitsu judo move on to use this persecution.

This fear to take these two-year-old Christians to Samaria and I'm to take him to the Gentiles and now the Gospels going global.

Everything I said it happened it's gonna start to happen and here's what happened.

He's going to choose what we call a prime mover he's going to plant the gospel, even for the church gets there. The rate on likely person that we would say, could never be ready to hear about Christ. He's an Ethiopian unit is like one of the members of the Queen Candace you read in just a minute that's a clean title.

The government of Egypt. At this point time is run by a woman.

Her son is thought to be divined or direct descendent from the sun God in this unit is a proselyte, or at least in God. Fear has come to Jerusalem to worship because monotheism is so attractive in this world.

The world and he is a copy of the text. He's a wealthy man.

He's a leader. He has platform is tremendous influence pennies on this chariot coming back from Jerusalem back toward Africa and Ethiopia here in this context is the Ethiopia that we know it's it goes all away from northern part of Africa down to Sudan pick up the story as the gospel goes global as the plan unfolds. Jesus said it would receive power the Holy Spirit come upon us and we would be witnesses, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria now to see the uttermost parts of the world. Now an angel of the Lord. Verse 26, said Philip go to the South to the desert road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza so we started out on his way he met an Ethiopian unit can important official in charge of the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship and he was on his way home and sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah. In the spirit told Philip go to that chariot and stay near then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet, and I love this. This is what you share you not to preach at people, you just ask good questions. Do you understand what you're reading Philip ask, how can I he said, unless someone explains it to me so he invited Philip to come up and sit down with him and then he begins to read out of Isaiah 53.

Speaking of Christ. He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and is a land before the sheer silence so he did not open his mouth in his humiliation he was deprived of justice who can speak of his descendents for his life was taken from the earth and the eunuch said to Philip, tell me please. Who is the prophet talking about himself or someone else then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus see what he does. Again Phillips two years old, the Lord, but for two years.

Phillips been digging in and all those Old Testament passages which lead to Jesus and he's been going to those meetings on the weekends where Peter or John or James breaches has been one of the smaller meetings in the homes in talking about this new Messiah and how it works.

You know how to play out in your marriage how the cloud and the kid has a flat with your finances and all of a sudden God says go on the throne he starts walking on this road and pretty soon there's this chariot of a very important influential man whose intimidating because he's wealthy anything powerful and filled my guts is I just go global. Clincher is a walking by the chariot practice in this time in the world.

Whenever people read the read out loud and so as he stands near he's hearing this kind going this is unbelievable. I'm not supposed to stand by this chariot.

This Ethiopian guy is reading the book of Isaiah and so he has a moment of boldness he doesn't pay like you get what you you and that's about not really what you want to sit down and notice he just then he just said he took from that passage and begin to explain to realize there's a God who loves you and you realize the problem of sin is been addressed to realize his purpose and hope you realize there's a heaven, you realize that you can know this God personally through the somebody sent Jesus, you realize that your whole world and purpose can be transformed by the way, here's what happens if it's a gift of God by grace you receive it by faith. And then you go public and you know I was baptized because baptism back then had a much bigger picture of total identification change.

It was like I had an old uniform put on a new uniform and so pick up the story.

What happens as a travel along the road which came to some water. The eunuch said, look, here is water.

Why should not be baptized in the order the chariot to stop, and then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. Then they came about the water and the spirit of the Lord suddenly snatched literally away and the eunuch didn't see him again but he went on his way rejoicing. This was a great baptism, he said, wow this is amazing. I just let God my faith in Christ down with heavy just like amazing and Philip finds himself like well it was amazing.

I'm in a different city as a toss and travel about preaching and sharing the gospel in all the towns reach to Caesarea. These are normal regular ordinary people were God is intervening in doing supernatural things.

You know why because he loves people he loves your boss he loves your employees. He loves your neighbors he loves your relatives. He loves the boss that you never think it ever be open to Christ is what I want to get Philip obeys prompting by the Holy Spirit. That's what God wants us to do.

You don't have to lay it all out to be a Bible scholar what you said this week got okay ready this week. Would you give me a little knowledge about when to tell someone about you and maybe introduce them in some way to your work for you. What God then I'm not sure I'm ready for that one. Could you just leave me to someone who has a problem at all asking for coffee or asking for lunch.

I won't even bring up Jesus at first I just love them what happened, as he said you know I understand just went through divorce. You want to grab a cup of coffee I've actually had that my history just love to hear how I can help you or hear your sons in the hospital for hearing your problem health issue or you know what, I'm so sorry I heard the downsizing happened in you run the list. Can I buy you dinner eunuch move our house one of this week. Each one of us were prompted by the Holy Spirit to love someone to reach out and some way and connect with them. You know what happened gonna work. See it's not that he doesn't prompt it's that our ears get spiritual waxing. We don't hear we think it's for someone else over so afraid intimidated to ask a big spiritual question. Here is my answer to the really hard ones are you ready for this.

You can use this. I don't know I'm I use it all the time. What about this this and this and so-and-so says this is a business religions as this is the right question. I don't know but you know what would you be willing to to read a bit and talk about. I'm just telling you people will Philip obeys prompting but God had prepared the heart to hear an amazing the enemy doesn't want you to believe that he wants you to be afraid to share your faith he wants you to be afraid to go public. You want you to be up, afraid of what people might think he want you to be isolated and the truth is God is sovereignly working in the lives of people all around you all the time in the most unlikely people you think would never come to Christ. He's already prepared in the application is fear not boldly share the gospel every day and every way, not them, not some way, not our little huddle boldly boldly.

Here's what's true in the book of acts, you know you're filled with the spirit.

When you're bold when you're filled with the spirit sometimes is manifestation sometimes is not. Sometimes this happens sometimes it is.

People always reading the book of acts may want to pick out this and pick out that here's one thing for sure that every group can know when you're filled with the spirit you are bold and the boldness is in an arrogance. It's a boldness for your conviction is that the only hope for the world is Jesus. But the word of God is true and you love those people. And when you do gotta prompt you and in your fear here's a promise a call to Matthew 2820 principle after he told us to go in all the world and make disciples. I love this. I like in the King James even are you ready can I get a good-looking change of and low I'm with you always, don't be afraid I'm giving you a supernatural mission to bring people from darkness into light and darkness into light that will restore marriages that will change people's attorneys will change the whole trajectory of families because people's lives and all the ripples from them to change forever and ever and ever and ever. You are my ambassadors. You are my full-time workers I trusted my word and my truth to you. Don't be afraid.

I am listening to Living on the Edge chip will be back with his application this message intimidate and isolate the series diabolical. Satan's agenda for planet Earth, including you. Many Christians are naïve to seek schemes and head into their day-to-day lives, unprepared and unprotected, but in reality Satan does his best work in subtle ways. 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 it was you ended your teaching today you really emphasize the idea of boldness but the reality is there a lot of people have been going to church forever and they're not experiencing the boldness you're talking about their lives to look much different than the old non-Christians. What's missing is discipleship something Living on the Edge is absolutely passionate about what you mean when you say that word and what you think is missing today in the lives of many Christians will Dave when I think about discipleship I think of what the word means.

It means a learner. Jesus said, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

He he didn't say it's very important that you listen to what I say and agree with me intellectually and trying be a good person. What he said is I want you to follow made the idea of a rabbi is that you would enter into his path that you would meet with him personally that you would meet with him in the context of a group and have discussion and it was all for the purpose that when you got done you would be more and more and more like your rabbi and one of the things that came out of the covert crisis was something I would've never dreamed of.

We did one on one mentoring or discipling through thing that we called daily discipleship with chip. I literally sit down with a couple coffee and happen have a camera crew and I look into the camera to just one person and teach people how to study the Bible and and and talk about my own struggles and how to hear God's voice and how do you actually grow and just mentoring people one on one and two are just exclamation and glory to God in this last year, over 100,000 people have joined me in these daily discipleship's that we've created and that the responses just been so encouraging and so I want to invite you to to join me in that you can get that on the Apra LivingontheEdge.org but I want to invite you to join me in making disciples so I ask you to pray and I'd ask you if this matters to you, or if you're one of those people that have benefited one of those hundred thousand have done it with me. Would you really pray today about giving a financial gift so that we could help others in whatever God leads you to do. Thank you, thank you very much.

What a great challenge if you would help us pursue our mission to make disciples. We'd love to have you join us right now, thanks to a small group of financial partners. Every gift we received between now and July 6 will be doubled to make a donation.

Just give us a call at AAA 83336003 that's AAA 333-6003, or if you prefer to give online, go to LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse. Just Donate, let me thank you in advance for your generosity okay chip let's get to bed application. We promised as we close today's program. You probably heard me do something that I rarely do that. It was one of the spontaneous moments in the life of the message in a service and I got right in the almost near the middle of the message and it was just obvious that people needed to understand and respond to the gospel to be given the offer of eternal life and to stop right there and to pray and receive Christ to repent, to turn from their sins. And in that moment respond to Christ and I did it as it was a clear prompting from the Holy Spirit and that message as I gave that in the services that I could see about 35 or 40 people in each service prayed to receive Christ. I have to believe that many listening to my voice right now as I shared that then as you heard a few moments ago that God was saying you need to do that and so let's stop right now. If you need to trust Christ if you need to turn from your sin and receive the grace of God and have eternal life than right now. Do it call out to God in your heart of hearts. Oh God, I believe that you died on the cross to pay for my sin. I believe Lord Jesus.

You rose from the dead. I want to turn from myself. Dependency and myself focus and my sin and I turned fully and completely with the empty hands of faith and I put my trust in your work for me, will you come into my life right now and forgive me, will you make me your son make me your daughter.

Lord, thank you that you said that your knocking on the door of my heart. And if I open the door, you will come into my life and you will live with me and meet with you right now total war. That's the desire of your heart. Ask him to come in and then I want you to tell someone in the next 24 hours. I prayed, I asked God sincerely to forgive me of my sin and now I need to learn how to grow I want you to text or call her find the greatest Christian that you know and tell him or her what you did and this week find a church that teaches the Bible and get moving forward.

God loves you.

He's forgiven you. He's got a great plan for your life, you need to now get into his word and grow. God bless you and keep pressing ahead if you prayed with chip hope you'll take a minute and call us at AAA 83336003. We love to talk with you and get a free resource in your hands that will help you understand what you just did and where to go from here if you'd rather go to the new believers tab on our website LivingontheEdge.org or tap special offers only up, we'll find that same resource.

We just want to help you get started on your new journey of faith will be with us again next time. Until then, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge