Gtcotr/ss112022
Herod the Great tried to kill Jesus in Bethlehem.
Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
Members of the synagogue tried to kill Jesus in Nazareth.
Luke 4
28 So all those in the
synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 and rose up and thrust
Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their
city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.
30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
The Pharisees tried to kill Jesus in the Temple.
John 8:59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
The Jews tried to kill Jesus at the Feast of Dedication.
John 10
31 Then the Jews took up
stones again to stone Him.
32 Jesus answered them,
“Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do
you stone Me?”
39 ¶ Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.
So many people, all inspired by the devil, tried to kill Jesus so many times and guess what … they finally did … but not before it was God’s time.
There are two eternal truths I want to share this morning that are meant to be foundation stones in the Believer’s life.
1. It’s not people, it’s the devil.
Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
1 Peter 5
8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom
he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
2 Corinthians 10
4 For the weapons of our
warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
The
devil cannot do anything unless he can find at least one person to work with
him.
·
Pray
for your enemies.
·
Some
people have no idea they are being used by the devil.
·
Others
know they are doing you wrong and do it anyway.
· Remember, it’s not people … it’s the devil.
Resist the roar of the devil in your mind and be steadfast in faith.
The second foundation stone in the Believer’s life I want to share this morning is the eternal truth that:
2. Nothing happens before its time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.
The
word time is recorded 700 times in the AV of the Bible. The first 5 times talk
about the in process of time; at the set time; at the appointed time; and at
the time of life.
·
In
Joshua, God appointed a set time for the walls of Jericho to fall.
·
Galatians
4:4 says that in the fulness of time, God sent His Son.
·
Romans
5:6 says that in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
·
Romans
13:11 says it is high time we awake out of our sleep.
·
1
Corinthians 4:5 tells us to not judge anything before the time.
·
2
Corinthians 6:2 declares that now is the accepted time …
·
2
Timothy 4:6 Paul said the time of his departure was at hand.
· Revelation 14:15 Thrust in your sickle for the time is come …
God created the universe, established the galaxies, and set the world in order. He knows every second and changes lives in the twinkling of an eye.
Nothing happens without God’s notice or before God’s time.
So … with these two things in mind, what is our part? (The devil & time)
Acts 1
6 ¶ Therefore, when they had
come together, they asked Jesus, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore
the kingdom to Israel?”
7 And He said to them, “It is
not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own
authority.
8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
When
it looks like the devil is working overtime and you feel like your whole world
has gone crazy, remember:
·
It’s
not people … it’s the devil!
o Pray for the Holy
Spirit to come upon you with the power to be a witness to others who are in the
darkness of this world.
·
Nothing
happens without God’s notice or before God’s time.
o God is not slow to act
… you can trust His timing.
