DEFEATING THE TWO GREATEST ENEMIES OF THE KINGDOM:  INSECURITY AND INFERIORITY

MF Blume
May 16, 2010 pm

Luke 16:13-18 KJV  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  (14)  And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.  (15)  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (16)  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.  (17)  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.  (18)  Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.  

In the above passage we read this morning, Jesus attacked the entire error of the Pharisees, the strictest and very powerful sect of Jews.

He then spoke of causing someone to commit adultery if departs from a marriage.

Then Jesus spoke of the rich man and Lazarus.

But notice how Jesus spoke of adultery when talking about Law and Kingdom.

Romans 7:1-4 KJV  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?  (2)  For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.  (3)  So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.  (4)  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Notice LAW and MARRIAGE bind a person so long as they are alive.

DEATH ALONE breaks that up, except for the cause of fornication that Jesus noted.

Kingdom preaching is DEATH BY THE CROSS to resurrect and live a Life freed from Law.

You can no more escape LAW than you can easily escape a MARRIAGE and marry someone else.

AND DEATH TO SELF is actually the very thing that PHARISEES cannot stand.

FLESH HATES KINGDOM PREACHING.

This morning we emphasized how that Satan knew that getting Eve focused on self exaltation, by making her think she did not have the status she could have, would plug her life so full of herself that God could not manifest through her.

Genesis 1:26 KJV  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

And we are COMPLETE IN CHRIST!

Colossians 2:9-10 KJV  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  (10)  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

When someone is used of God powerfully, anyone who is dedicated to the KINGDOM will rejoice and be filled with praise to the Lord!

Look how people can start so well and lose it IN THE KINGDOM.

1 Samuel 18:5-9 KJV  And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.  (6)  And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.  (7)  And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.  (8)  And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?  (9)  And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

Saul was so self focused that he was enraged at someone who was touched and blessed by God more than he was.

Saul had feared the people and sought THEIR ESTEEM and wanted to IMPRESS THEM.

It starts a few chapters beforehand.

1 Samuel 15:9-24 KJV  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

Notice SAUL spared the king and the animals.

  (10)  Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,  (11)  It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.  (12)  And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.  (13)  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

After not obeying the Lord, he lied and said he did.

 (14)  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?  (15)  And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.  

He said the PEOPLE were to blame since THEY did wrong.

(16)  Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.  (17)  And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?  (18)  And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.  (19)  Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?  (20)  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.  (21)  But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.  

Lied more and said the people sacrificed.

(22)  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  (23)  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.  (24)  And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

He finally told the truth and said HE FEARED THE PEOPLE.

We need to FEAR GOD and not the people.

The same thing happened earlier:

1 Samuel 13:8-14 KJV  And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.  (9)  And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.  (10)  And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.  (11)  And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;  (12)  Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.  (13)  And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.  (14)  But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

Saul was so worried about what PEOPLE THOUGHT OF HIM.

Psalms 51:1-4 KJV  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.  (2)  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  (3)  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.  (4)  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

NO SELF DEFENCE.

2 Samuel 12:13 KJV  And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

No lying and defence.

Luke 14:8-11 KJV  When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;  (9)  And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.  (10)  But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.  (11)  For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Mark 9:34-37 KJV  But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.  (35)  And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.  (36)  And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,  (37)  Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

Children impress no one.

Some people seek identity with a certain TEACHING that they feel impresses others.

1 Samuel 17:42 KJV  And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

2 Corinthians 5:14-19 Complete Apostles' Bible  (14)  For the love of Christ compels us, having concluded this: that if One died for all, then all died;  (15)  and He died for all, so that they who live should live no longer for themselves, but for the One who died for them and rose again.  (16)  Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.  (17)  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, all things have become new.  (18)  And all things are of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and who gave to us the ministry of this reconciliation,  (19)  that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not reckoning their transgressions to them, and committing to us the word of this reconciliation.

The only people who impressed Paul were the new creation people.

Philippians 3: (7)  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  (8)  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,  (9)  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:  (10)  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;


What is GAIN TO SELF IS LOSS TO CHRIST.

Romans 15:1-3 Complete Apostles' Bible  (1)  We then who are strong are obligated to bear with the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  (2)  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.  (3)  For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those reproaching You fell on Me."

We feel insecure and unsafe, and we seek to get esteem of people in order to feel good about ourselves.

We need to instead say, "No, I am going to be spiritual and get the esteem of God, and consider those things to be carnal and manifestations of carnal Christianity."

Romans 8:31-34 Complete Apostles' Bible  (31)  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  (32)  He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up on behalf of us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  (33)  Who shall bring an accusation against God's elect? It is God who justifies.  (34)  Who is he that condemns? Christ is the One having died, but rather also having been raised, who is even at the right hand of God, who also intercedes on our behalf.

Hebrews 1:1-14 KJV  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  (2)  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;  (3)  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;  (4)  Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.  (5)  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  (6)  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.  (7)  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.  (8)  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.  (9)  Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.  (10)  And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:  (11)  They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;  (12)  And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.  (13)  But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?  (14)  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Romans 8:17 KJV  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.