Take Your Stand Part 1
This Preaching in Shorts sermon series is about Taking Your Stand based on Ephesians 6:12-18.
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Standing up to Evil
I believe that the evil one uses a very clever trick to promote evil. The trick is distraction. The evil one wants to distract people from the truth. When he does, evil flourishes. How does he do it? By keeping people more fixed on the natural than the supernatural, on the physical more than the spiritual, on the things of men rather than on the things of God. But the first of our memory verses gives us a big reminder of where the struggle really is: (Can you say it with me?)
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. It is so easy for us to get distracted into putting the things of men first, rather than the things of God. Anti-encouragement keeps us distracted, which is why the Ministry of Encouragement is so important in taking your stand. The starting point for standing up to evil is knowing the answer to the following question.
1) Who do you say that Jesus is?
When I was in the tenth grade I had an English Lit teacher who on the day before a test, would stand in front of the class, read every question word for word from the test and give the answer. While she was doing this, you were allowed to and actually encouraged to take notes. You could write down every question and answer as she read them so you could prepare for the test the next day. Easiest tests I ever took. Everyone should get a 100 right? A rather large percentage of the class would either fail or do poorly on the tests. I used to think they were just really stupid. Looking back, I can see that it wasn’t a matter of intelligence, they were just distracted. They weren’t living for a bigger picture, they were consumed with what they thought was most important (themselves, their love lives, partying, etc., certainly not school). The answer to the most important question you will ever answer in life is given to us by Peter who had it revealed to him directly from God.
Matthew 16:13-19 (NIV)
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
The answer to the question of who Jesus is, is:
Jesus is the Christ (messiah, anointed one), the Son of the living God.
This rock, (knowing the answer to the question) will determine how you live in this age and in the age to come. It is the foundation of a life in Christ and allows us to stand up to evil (the gates of Hades will not overcome it). It reminds us of what is really important, of what really matters, that it is all about Jesus. With the answer in mind we need to move to point number 2…
2) Don’t get distracted
Look how easy it is to get distracted. In the very next recorded conversation between Jesus and the disciples watch what happens to Peter.
Matthew 16:21-26 (NIV)
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
What was the distraction that the enemy used to get Peter? He got focused on the things of men rather than the things of God! Jesus makes it clear that our focus needs to be on the things of God to experience real life…”whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”
3) How the enemy distracts you
The evil one uses the same tricks to distract you as he did with Peter, as he did with Adam and Eve and how he tried to distract Jesus. He tries to tempt you to get focused on the things of man rather than the things of God.
1 John 2:16-17 (KJV)
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
The enemy uses the same three tricks to distract you over and over again.
a) The lust of the flesh
Adam and Eve (good for food)
Jesus (turn these stones to bread)
Us (if it feels good do it)
b) The lust of the eyes
Adam and Eve (beautiful to look at)
Jesus (all this I will give you)
Us (You need it, you deserve it, and life will not be complete without it) Let’s talk about Pong. The year was 1972. I worked and saved for months to get $200 which was the cost of a Pong system that would hook up to the TV. I bought it. I played it for about thirty minutes and I had a tragic realization for a twelve year old, I had just wasted $200. What a boring, ridiculous game! I could have bought a stereo. Lesson learned.
c) The pride of life (how the enemy most likely distracted Peter, I got the answer right, revelation from God, I am the greatest disciple, now let me counsel Jesus on how things are going to be)
Adam and Eve (You will be like God)
Jesus (If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down)
Us (I did it my way)
4) How do we take our stand against evil?
Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
I will summarize it this way: Know the answer the question, don’t get distracted, live by doing the next right thing and get involved in the Ministry of Encouragement.
Hebrews 3:12-13 (NIV)
12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Related posts:
- Take Your Stand Part 3
- Take Your Stand Part 4
- Take Your Stand Part 5
- Take Your Stand Outtro
- Take Your Stand Introduction
Category: Preaching in Shorts
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