We are continuing our series looking at antidotes to bring snoozy or lukewarm Christians. How can we hold fast to the gospel and not focus on our comfort? Today there’s one more dimension we must consider: Satan’s snare: the devil, and his plan to dull our senses.

Our passages today: 2 Kings 6:11-18 ESV and 1 Thessalonians 5:6 ESV. Preacher: Ian Bayne 24/01/21

So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 ESV

Recap

We can be snoozy Christians. Feasting and frivolity can make us forget our calling.

We looked at antidotes previously:

1. God’s Word – we need constant immersion
2. One another
3. Living holy lives

We must encourage one another, both in word and action:

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:25

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 ESV

We may not always feel like doing this – we’re too tired or put our comfort first. But if we’re living lives in spiritual obedience then it helps us overcome snooziness:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

Satan’s snare

Today we’re looking at the devil’s involvement in our snooziness, and how he seeks to dull our senses and cause us to drift from God into sin.

After last week’s sermon, I was discussing the series with my grandson, who wisely pointed out: if you have two eyes on Jesus, how can you keep one eye on the devil?

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

He’s right – we need to watch out because we have an enemy. We can be tempted to ignore this as we are very physical or materialistic, and don’t see anything of the spiritual world.

In our passage 2 Kings 6:11-18, Elisha’s servant only saw the enemy army, but Elisha knew there were spiritual forces around them.

Of course, there’s a danger we can become too spiritual. CS Lewis is quoted as saying: “the devil is pleased with both”.

We don’t want to give more than we ought to the devil:

But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

Jude 1:9 ESV

Michael kept his involvement with the devil to a minimum.

When we see what’s going on in the world, we can get disappointed with certain political decisions. We can be disappointed with the people who make them, but that’s not the real battle. Satan is weaving his plan behind human actions. Satan’s snare is set for us.

We should keep an eye on the devil because:

1. He’s sneaky

He wants to blend in in the world and also in the church. Darkness is within them.

As Bob Dillan’s song goes: “the enemy I see wears a cloak of decency”

2. He looks for and exploits our weaknesses

He knows when you are vulnerable:

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

There’s nothing wrong with addiction when it’s focused on the right thing, for example: being addicted to scripture is a good thing. When focussed on the wrong things – addiction can destroy our life, and our soul!

3. He’s tricky

Our strengths can also be used as our weaknesses. For instance, intellectual argument.

In this example, the disciple Peter, is using what seems like common sense, but Jesus rebukes him.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. [22] And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” [23] But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Matthew 16:21-23 ESV

After Jesus says He’s going to die and be resurrected, Peter doesn’t believe him. The others may be thinking it, but Peter says it, and so the first disciple becomes an agent of Satan trying to prevent Jesus’s rescue.

But it seems like Peter is speaking common sense, under the guidance of concern and friendship. We need to be wary and keep focussed on God.

4. He’s a liar

If you’re going to tell a lie, tell a big one because people will believe it

Adolf Hitler (paraphrased)

Some people are very convincing.

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44 ESV

While Jesus came to save, the devil came to destroy.

Application

We can make application:

1. Know your enemy – test the spirits
2. Be forewarned and armed
3. Satan is defeated but he’s still active (he’s bound)

The scriptures don’t divide humanity into body and soul. This has come from Greek philosophy.

Today we know that physical and mental well-being can go together.

Likewise: we need to fix both eyes on Jesus but keep one eye on the devil. This is spiritual multi-tasking!

Resources

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Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.

We continue our mini-series: making sure we’re awake and alert, especially as we enter 2021. It’s easy to get complacent. Today we’re looking at another antidote to Christian slumber: the Cross of Christ. How can we snooze at the foot of the most awful event in history: with blood, gore, and all of humanities sin laid on Jesus!

Our passages today Isaiah 53:3-12 & 1 Thessalonians 5:6

Preacher: Ian Bayne, 17th January 2021

So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

1 Thessalonians 5:6

Recap

We can become sleepy Christians if we:

1. doubt Christ’s return
2. doubt the certainty of death
3. live in comfortable and secure environments
4. are constantly frivolous and feasting

Difficulty and troubles are part of our journey as Christians.

The antidotes are:

1. Hold onto God’s Word: constant exposure to the light of God’s Word. Hang on to hope, anticipating with pleasure the gospel, and be assured of the power of the gospel.
2. Gossip the gospel: not bad gossip, but we should share and talk about the gospel.

Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

Proverbs 17:9 ESV

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

The gospel is instructive: it preserves us, instructs us and heals us.

We are stronger together:

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 ESV

Today we’ll look at a further antidote:

The cross of Christ

To keep the cross of Christ before your eyes.

It’s impossible to go to sleep at the foot of the cross. It was a terrible place. Yet the disciples managed to snooze when Jesus was in danger:

And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

Matthew 26:43 ESV

Jesus was praying and sweating blood, and his disciples were asleep!
While they were snoozing them, they were not snoozing when Jesus was on the cross. There’s a sacrifice taking place.

For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet-

Psalm 22:16 ESV

Jesus quotes:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

Psalm 22:1 ESV

Trust in Jesus. He died for our sins.

Trust in God and root out any idols that are competing with Christ.

Eddie Robinson, a soul singer said: “I give my all to you, all unto you my lord, because you gave all to me. You set my spirit free… If there’s more that I can give, show it to me…”

If you’re feeling sleepy or discouraged, do something for the Lord, do something for someone. You’ll be surprised at how quickly drowsiness is overcome.

See how Christ suffered and “let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”

Resources

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Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.

Do you find yourself drifting away from God? Have you realised that you are drifting? It’s easy for mature Christians to become drowsy: distracted and focussing on other things – we don’t realise the danger until it’s too late!

In this series we’ll look at the danger the Bible is trying to warn us of, and seek practical tips to remain alert. In our comfortable surroundings, Christian snooziness is an ever-present danger. Drifting away from God is not to be taken lightly – our very salvation is at stake!

Our passages today: Jeremiah 6:9-15 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

Preacher: Ian Bayne, Sunday 27th December 2020

Introduction

2020 has been a year we will remember. I had to preach to a teddy bear during the lockdown! It’s nice to be back in front of the congregation.

We must be thankful: New Zealand is doing pretty well. There’s not as much unemployment and the economy is doing ok. For the most part we’re blessed and have roofs over our head.

But when we come through testing times, the temptation is to relax.

Jeremiah is a prophet of doom, with not much encouragement in his book. Yet, in contrast, the false prophets at the time we’re prophecying that everything would be ok. Even though things at the time were going well – disaster did come. The people were lulled into a false sense of security by their surroundings and the false prophets.

We should take warning from this – these are not days we should relax, despite the common sentiment on social media: 2021 may be a lot harder than 2020.

So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 ESV

When things have gone well, when we’ve had a win in life, we can fall into complacency: feasting, partying and not being awake to the dangers and opportunities.

While it’s been a strange year, there are certain conditions causing Christians to be rather drowsy, especially in New Zealand.

Temptation to drowsiness

We become drowsy and drift away from God because we:

1. Doubt the promise of Christ’s return

Jesus has come once, but the promise is that he’ll come again as the judge of the living and the dead. As believers, we’re able to look forward to that: Jesus will return.

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Matthew 16:27 ESV

and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:11 ESV

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:23 ESV

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

2 Peter 3:10 ESV

If we live with this in the centre of our mind then it will have an effect on whether we will will be sleepy or awake.

God has always kept his promises therefore we can be certain Jesus will return.

2. Deny the certainty of death

Death is inevitable: everyone will die. Even if we don’t talk about it much in society.

A pastor’s job description could be said to be to prepare a bunch of people to die well.

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, [17] and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ [18] And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”‘ [20] But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ [21] So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:16-21 ESV

What’s the point of storing up treasure on earth and worrying?

For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 3:19 ESV

3. Comfortable and secure environments

On the surface things were going well in Jeremiah’s time. Yet there was no real peace because Israel had rebelled against God.

Is Jesus coming? Where is He? It’s an event that can seem so far off in our comfortable and secure world where it seems as though nothing will change. (Though perhaps covid has taught us that this cannot be correct)

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2 Peter 3:8-9 ESV

Things will not continue as they were. There’s more change coming, and we are warned:

Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

Revelation 3:2 ESV

The church in first century Sardis is told to wake up! This warning applies to us too.

Laodecia was a wealthy church that thought it had no needs.

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!…So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:15 ESV

The Laodecians get one of the strongest rebukes from Jesus in this chapter. Do we count our lukewarm attitude to God as serious sin?

4. Times of feasting and frivolity

There is a time to eat dinner: good food and a little wine. Especially, Christmas and New year are good times. They can also make us drowsy though.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 ESV

Charles Spurgeon said that little good can often come from a feast.

As examples: feasting is used in the days of Noah and Moses to show an indifference towards God.

For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,

Matthew 24:38 ESV

When Moses came back to Egypt the Israelites were feasting.

Job’s children were feasting when trouble came upon them:

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, [19] and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

Job 1:18-19 ESV

Wine causes dissipation: to be over indulgent in sensual matters. We are not saying don’t drink, but don’t get drunk.

Application

If you see any of the above in your life, and feel like you’re drifting away from God: open the curtains and let the light in!

In days gone by we’ve had rental accommodation. You’re not supposed to have mould or damp in the house, but (especially in Wellington) it’s very hard to keep the mould and damp out. We need to open the curtains and let the light shine in.

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 ESV

We need to hear the good news, heed the good news, harbor the hood news, hold fast to the good news.

Faith comes by hearing the word:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Joshua 1:8 ESV

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11 ESV

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

2 Timothy 3:14 ESV

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:13 ESV

These are days to be alert and sober – we must see that we don’t become drowsy and drift away from God.

Over the coming weeks we’ll look at further practical steps we can take to avoid this.

Resources

If you have any comments or questions, we’d love to hear from you. Please fill out the contact us form.

Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.