The Enemy Inside Your Home Part 2

With endurance the race is looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter of our in the old days people would sit and talk now stare into an HD TV or into a computer screen technology will valuable as a tool of the enemy to inject all of us and steal time better used for each other and for God today on this danger from the movie. This morning when Sir was clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. It's really sad when a family sits down to dinner and each family member is staring at their social media accounts, smart date, I have to tell you that that happened one time when I was leading a staff meeting here at the Moody Church. I could tell that one of the members was actually looking at his phone.

Looking at his lap.

But looking at his phone and so in the midst of that discussion. I called his name and asked his opinion as to what we were talking about when you can imagine his embarrassment.

But what you said about the family is very critical. Seems to me that the social media networks that people are connected to actually distract from reasonable conversation I need to ask you this question before we go to the pulpit of Moody church and we continue this series of messages on the family have you dear listener been blessed as a result of running to win. If so, did you know that the reason is because other people have contributed so this ministry can touch your life would you consider becoming an endurance partner in standing with us so that others can hear the word of God. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com. Now click on the endurance partner button or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 and now we continue our study of the enemy within your home, I think, for example, seniors at they sometimes waste so much time watching TV watching this not when they have they have so many years of productivity long time ago I read about a woman who was so fed up watching television, and there she was in a senior home and she decided to connect with the church and to get the names of all of their missionaries and she began to write missionary letters to 70 different missionaries, not 770 and began to get interested in their lives and praying for them and she lived heavily until the day she died. What's your RO return on your investment.

Now I want to get too spiritual here, but since I'm on a roll and that is will continue in the direction that I'm going is very convicting to me and I hope it's convicting to you what is it about the entertainment industry that is so important to us meeting certain needs in our lives that apparently God is unable to meet what about the pleasures of God on God's right hand, are they not significant. You see, we are so far from the idea of pursuing God this past week I was reading in the book of Isaiah where it says seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him when he is near. Let the wicked man forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts to let him return unto the Lord, I thought, isn't it too bad that in our hurried life most of us don't know what it is like to really see God and find him satisfying it was CS Lewis who said that God is the all satisfying object busy or is he not know what that what I'd like to do is to give you five imperatives you can write these down. I see this as essential each one could be an individual message but here we go number one. What we must do is to recognize the spiritual nature of the conflict to recognize the spiritual nature of the conflict as the apostle Paul says in the book of Ephesians we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in the rulers of this age. That's what we're really up against and that's why it is that were so paralyzed in the face of so much misuse of technology is because we don't understand that, at root, we are in a spiritual battle which is absolutely huge this past week has several of those talk to law enforcement people here in the city of Chicago because there are those among us who would like to begin seriously to rescue those who are victims of sexual trafficking and one of the things they said is that the Internet has just changed everything nowadays.

There's so much communication on the Internet so much available on the Internet.

It's a whole new day out there trying to enforce some decency laws and being able to capture those who are victimizing others. We realize the extent of this kind of communication and the power of the Internet to seduce to get out information that is harmful to destroy. It's huge. We can't fight that in the energy of the flesh.

We are up against huge spiritual forces we need to recognize that and to fight for our families and for ourselves more that I could say about that. But we must hurry on number two. Clean up your own act.

Clean up your own act. Now let me speak very candidly here.

In some instances you may have to get rid of your television set. You member months ago we had a pure life conference here at Moody church and the whole intention of the conference was to motivate us to live your lives in a talked about the media we have seminars on that than the lead man who actually spoke from this pulpit and inspired us and instructed us.

I was having lunch with him afterwards and I asked about his own personal life because he had been immorally remember he gave his testimony in the last 25 years lived with purity and he said that he got rid of his television set. He said about 20 years ago because he said to this day, put me in a room with a remote control and a television set within innumerable number of channels and he says I will be gone. In other words, the propensity and the desire he may never go away and we need to be able to accept that. But what we need to do is to put in place various parameters and various structures so that we don't even have the opportunity of going there a little while ago just about an hour ago. We dedicated the baby to the Lord and one set of grandparents told me they live on a farm south here of Illinois in Illinois and they said that they raised their seven children without a television set how much you think those kids actually lost the outgoing and clap and now all those of you clap get rid of yours, they said that their children felt sorry for others who have so few experiences in life at all, that they would do is sit on the couch and watch TV.

The kids really didn't miss a whole lot in terms of growing up in terms of what is truly truly valuable so we have to clean up our own acts.

That's why when it comes to this business of commitment.

I have to admit that the real issue is whether or not were desperate. If you're not yet desperate.

This is just going to go swish over your head, but for those of you for whom it is intended because you are desperate and determined to no longer be hooked on what hooks you, you will respond and you'll do some drastic things and put them in place like Jesus said you cut off your hand you pluck out your you do whatever you need to do so that you don't keep falling into the pit and so the second thing is we have to clean up her own act. Third, if you're a parent. This is for you. We have to set family standards and the standards have to be based on the word of God. Your teenagers are going to argue with you all. You just don't like Madonna you know or you don't understand when a movie is PG 14 it means that all 14-year-olds are supposed to see it and you don't understand that. So they'll give you this hard time when you need to do is to put those standards in place need to stand on those standards and insist on them and in this way, your kids have structure and I take the point of view and I know if you disagree, but that's okay. They can come up later and ask for forgiveness. No teenager should ever have a television or the Internet in their room. I remember I member when I was teaching in a seminary guy gave a testimony of how his parents trusted him with it in his room and how it led down this terrible path that you can only imagine.

Remember what to say if your kids say, what you don't trust me. You know what to say to them the correct answer is no, I don't that's what you say to them, and then you say because I don't even trust myself is not a matter of trust. This is a matter of desire that is built into us by God.

We are sexual creatures from the bottom of our feet to the top of our heads and let's just recognize that we are and that temptations that are out there are powerful seductive and very difficult to say no to.

And so what you do is you have a family standard number four, you need help. We all do.

That's why it's so important to attend church.

It's important to connect with other people and in our families to talk to connect, not in a condemning way, your children are going to see things that it would've been better if they had never seen but accept that reality.

There is no way, if you're gonna live in this culture, you know, unless you are to live in a monastery there's no way to live in this culture without your children being exposed to this and you need to talk to them about it and you should not be shaming them. As a result of their preoccupation with some of these images is not a time for shame because shame often just fuels the addiction. So what you need to do is to back off and to help your children and to help yourself to see the bigger perspective and to recognize that with God's help.

There is help here.

There is deliverance but at the same time. What you do is you talk you discuss. You connect and remember as I'd emphasized in this series rules without relationship equals rebellion, relationships that help us most finally, we must practice the spiritual disciplines were looking for victory over here and were looking for this intervention.

Over there, and some dramatic experience that will bring about deliverance in God's is what you should be doing is what you and I should be doing all the time. The word of God washes us the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart the commandments of the Lord are pure and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold gave than much fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in the keeping of them there is great reward is the word of God that cleanses us and keeps us the way to have your devotions and by the way, as part of this series. One of the message is entitled the power of praying parents were. I'm going to be emphasizing how to pray. Scripture so that every single day you walk away from the word of God with a snatch of Scripture in your heart that you carry with you throughout the day and I'll be giving some illustrations of how those kinds of passages of Scripture can be prayed because at the end of the day.

What we really need is the intervention of all mighty God without it we are helpless. Now there's something else that is important. There are many of you who are listening to this and that you haven't taken the first step toward deliverance you know Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. And the angel said in Matthew chapter 1. Jesus came to save his people from their sins.

So you see what we must recognize is that to receive Jesus Christ as Savior gives us a new nature.

It gives us new desires that now are in conflict with our old desires and that's what we've been talking about, but at least we have the basis for deliverance and freedom.

Member the story of Augustine, the famous Christian philosopher who lived in the 400s. He was the into debauchery of every kind had a mistress and then as a result of that reading actually the 14th chapter of Romans were talked about laying aside the unfruitful works of darkness.

It is then that he was converted later on he was walking down the street and his mistress was running behind him and she shouted to him, it is. I turned around and he said, but it is not. In other words, I'm a new person. I'm going in a different direction. I don't have to be attached all those things because Jesus came to set his people free, but it doesn't mean that there isn't a struggle and the deeper that we are into the world, the more difficult the struggle, but it is a winnable war because Jesus died that we might be free from the effects and the power of the world. A man there is a story about Ferris the horseman. I read different dates when this supposedly happened but it is only a legend, so it doesn't matter what the date supposedly is how that he was going through the Arabian desert and the suddenly in the distance the horses that he was Whippany had a herd of horses.

They saw Mirage and they began to run toward the water. What they thought was water but he blew on his bugle and six mayors turned around and came with him and didn't run and a legend is that it is from those six mayors that you have the very famous Arabian horses today are society's mad with a barrage of pleasure. Everybody is running in every direction.

We can't live without technology even for a few moments, and of course what we have to do is to distinguish its value from its detriment, and from its temptations and its adduction, but the world is over entertainment. God is in heaven.

It is blowing his bugle and he saying is there anyone listening will you turn around will you do whatever is necessary that you may no longer be seduced by the world so that you might be able to live for me in a way that is honorable and pure and decent. That's the question that all of us have to face in this world that has gone mad.

Now I've given you a lot of information and your response to this message is going to be different. There are some who say well you know that's very nice, but I'm deeply into this and I have no intention of changing there others that you perhaps feel very deeply that you need to do something drastic could I ask you to do whatever God has asked you to do that, you know right well you should.

Even if you seem powerless to do it because of working to fight for families.

We're going to have to deal with the issue of technology in the entertainment industry.

And then there are those of you who have never received Christ as Savior. You have no personal relationship with God though. You admire God and you admire Jesus is not become your Savior.

This is an opportunity for you to acknowledge your sinfulness and your need and look to Christ who died for sinners and who came to deliver us from our sins. You respond to God, even as God is spoken to you. Join me as we pray our father we ask today that you might help us to have the courage and the strength to do whatever you require of us for your glory for your honor, Lord. We are particularly concerned about those who find themselves in an addiction today find themselves help in the power of huge forces. They tried a thousand times to be free.

We ask father, help them to see that through Jesus and through your people and your word that deliverance is a possibility and a reality we read and father often times we sing. He breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free show us that today we ask now before I close what is it that you, my friend have to say to God today would you tell him you know you must do.

Father, we ask that Jesus will reign in our homes no matter what it takes.

We asked in his blessed name. So, my friend, this is Pastor Luther, have you decided what you are going to do in light of what you've heard, I think it's very important that these ideas and these truths be ones that we review again and again. That's why we're making the CDs or the DVDs of this series of messages available in either way, they always come with the study guide. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 ask for the DVDs or CDs of this series, fighting for your family needs time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Pastor Luther some questions may not have easy answers. One of them was discovered by Doreen who listens to us on W CRF in Norwalk, Ohio.

She says I was reading in Ezekiel 28 I've been taught that this passage represents Lucifer if that's indeed true. Speaking of Lucifer. Verse 15 says you were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. Verse 16 says by the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you send. How was iniquity found in Lucifer, who was a created being from a perfect God and God said that you were perfect.

So where did the iniquity come from. Does God himself have some iniquity in him reign.

Thank you so much for this question, which has puzzled theologians for hundreds of years.

By the way, I think your interpretation of Ezekiel chapter 28 is right. You know, it begins by discussing the king of Tyre and then it begins to talk about how you were perfect in all your ways and you were in Eden, the garden of God. And so for that must be a reference to Lucifer and you know you quoted it as saying that because of the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence. I think that Lucifer's responsibility before the fall was to make sure that all the praise that the Angels gave God to God. Maybe he was something like a choir leader. Now if you're asking the question of how a being like that created perfect could find iniquity within himself, and therefore rebel well Doreen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I don't think we have an answer to that question. You know, there are those who say well he had free will all right grant that that he had free will. But still, why would a being with free will choose against God, namely sin when in point of fact, the being was righteous, and therefore loved God what would be the motivation to do evil. We simply do not know, but I'd like to add this, I think that after Lucifer sinned, he probably regretted it because he didn't realize that he was setting into motion evil and these repercussions would reverberate throughout all of eternity and his and would be hell of fire for ever know there's a lesson here and that is that we cannot predict the consequences of sin. Eve, for example, could have never predicted that what she ate there in the garden, her disobedience would end up engulfing the entire world with evil.

We can't predict the consequences of sin and therefore what we should do is to ask God to help us to stay away from sin.

Meanwhile, thank God that even though Lucifer cannot be redeemed because he was an angelic being, and Jesus didn't die on the cross for Angels. But Jesus died on the cross for us. Therefore, though he cannot be redeemed. We can be and we must rejoice in our salvation, even though there are some mysteries that perhaps will be made plain to us someday in heaven look into Ezekiel chapter 28 from Dr. Erwin looks her thank you Pastor Luther if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's one thing big names, 218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 written all too many families is abuse, verbal, physical, even sexual hurt caused by abuse is incalculable both to the abuse as well as the abuser. Next time I'm running to win. What to do if you are a victim or a victimizer. This is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody church