Don't let the Fox in the Hen House TEXT: 2 Kings 20:12-19 Intro: As a child my parents took us to a Wild Life Reservation. On that particular day they were going to do a Alligator catching demonstration. We hurried to the small building but being a little late we had to sit a few rows back. I remember thinking "Boy I wanted to sit on the front row so I could see." Well in a few minutes in came three men holding a full grown alligator. It was twisting and trying to get loose. It certainly was not too happy to be there. Then they sat it down in the front, just 6-10 feet away from the front row and took off its muzzle clamp. When they did it swung around trying to snap at its captors. Of course you know what everyone did. Pick up their feet. I then remember thinking "I'm glad I'm not on the front row. The men then began the long process of trying to recapture an alligator that didn't want to be tied up. After some time and effort they subdued it again but not before I learned a valuable lesson, don't play with an alligator. Like the alligator, Sin is nothing to play with- it will get you Background: 2 Kings 20:1-11 He is sick unto death and receives a great deliverance. Notice that Satan come knocking right after. It is just like to devil to come attack us right after a great deliverance. If you don't believe me just wait to see what he has planned for you on Monday morning. 1) He didn't recognize the Enemy 2 Cor 11: 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. * I read a story once of a little girl about 7. One night she awoke to find someone standing in her room. It scared her but she couldn't call for help. The being said "I am an angel come to take you someplace. Get out of bed and come with me." The girl was still scared and didn't believe him. He said again "Get out of bed, I am an angel, come with me" Your not an angel", she said. "Yes I am", he replied. "No, your not", she said. At that he was very angry and said "How do you know I'm not an angel?" "Because", she said, "In all the stories in the bible that my Mommy has told me, each time an angel came to someone they always said "Fear Not" and you didn't say "Fear Not." At that the being transformed into the hideous creature it really was and fled from the room. She recognized the enemy. 1 Joh 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin 1 Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators , nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Sin: Murder, adultery, fornication, Horoscopes, pornography, violence (Horror movies with torture and sex), MTV (with sex and rebellion), lying, stealing, and Idolatry are knocking at your door, are you going to let them in? I hope not but is he already in? This isn't X-files but the enemy is out there -- We live in a world where everything goes and nothing is wrong any more. - Its not the sin of homosexuality anymore its now an alternate lifestyle. - Its not the sin of abortion, the killing of a life, its the termination of fetus tissue, a birth control method, a woman's right. - Its not the sin of selfishness, lust, and greed its now called a dysfunctional family. - No one takes the blame for their own sin anymore now its contributed to some repressed childhood traumas. There is a theological word for this "Hogwash" -Its time to call sin what it is - If you'll allow me for a moment, I'll be blunt - Did you know that it is a sin to disobey those that have rule over you? - Youth, did you know that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft? - Did you know that harboring unforgiveness or hatred will send you to hell? - Did you know that anger, malice, pride, envy, lust, and greed are just as deadly as murder, rape, and adultery. Sin is sin and God will have no part of it. - You must recognize it for what it is - a road to hell. - If you could place a cancer cell in any place in your body, where would you put it? No where. Sin is just as deadly. It will grow and take over. a) The world in not your friend -- Jam 4: 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. b) The Devil is not your friend -- 1 Pet 5: 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: c) Spiritual Battle going on - a serious matter - life and death - heaven and hell Eph 6: 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." d) Try the spirits 1 Joh 4: 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:, Prove all things 1 Thes 5: 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. * Beware Modern religious movements. Modern Preachers say; 1. God lost the rights to this world when Adam sinned 1 Cor 10: 26 For the earth [is] the Lord's, and the fulness thereof The earth is the Lords - He is in control 2. We are little gods - able to be just like him - The original sin of Satan and of Eve 2 Sam 7: 22 Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. - Isai 43:10 "But I have witnesses, O Israel," says the Lord! "You are my witnesses and my servants, chosen to know and to believe me and to understand that I alone am God. There is no other God; there never was and never will be." Only one God - we are servants made in his likeness, made to be son's not equals. 3. Jesus was a rich man with a big house. One preacher said, "I drive a Rolls Royce because I'm following Jesus" Math 8: 20 (NIV) But Jesus said, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but I, the Messiah, {8:20 [Messiah,] literally, "Son of Man."} have no home of my own--no place to lay my head." - Jesus had no where to lay his head. He left no will. 4. God wants you rich Eph 4: 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. we work so we can give to others in need Lu 12:15-20 warning not to store up goods on this earth Lu 12: 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry. 20 But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 5. You can live anyway you want and still make it in the pearly gates Math 7: 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. - Not everyone but he that does the will of my Father in Heaven 2) He was blinded by the gift a) Remember the Trojan horse - There was death inside b) The things of the world can blind us - keep us busy c) We can be spoiled by the philosophies of the world - collage - TV - Lu 21: 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth., Col 2: 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. d) Pleasures of sin for a season - the lure of sin is great but very deceiving e) Grass seems greener on the other side - same problems are over there 3) The King let the Enemy in a) Do we let down our guard - grown accustomed to sin - immune - conscience seared 1 Tim 4: 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; b) Didn't completely kill our old nature - Why some people like Sybil are completely delivered c) What are we watching, reading, visiting, thinking, and saying? What are our kids watching? d) Are we hiding sins? Jer 17: 9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings, Ps 139: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting e) Remember Achan - Jos 7:1-26 f) Some doors may never fully close again 4) The King showed him his most Precious things - As a youth growing up in church I can remember a quite man named Bro. Vaughn. He was a humble man that seldom spoke but when the pastor asked for testimonies, watch out. He was liable to speak for 30 minutes. When ever he stood you could feel the spirit fall over the congregation. I have never seen anything like it since. He spoke like a man that really knew the Lord, personally. His every word fell like a blessing on the congregation and he revealed things that only God knew. I looked up to him and hoped that one day I would know God as well. That I could have so much of his Spirit that people would feel it around me. But there was one thing that bothered me about him. All his children were lost. I knew his youngest son and often tried to encourage him but he would have no part of God. "What caused this?", I asked God. I don't want to loose my children. "How can a man so close to you loose his children?" Well it turns out that he wasn't always this close to God. In fact it wasn't until recent years that he totally committed his life to God. When his children were young and most impressionable, he lived a hypocritical life before them and they in turn made wrong choices that led them down this dark path. Now he earnestly sought the Lord and longed for his children to follow but it was too late. Now it was up to them. a) Our Children - What do they see and hear? b) Are they protected by our prayers - lead us not unto temptation and deliver us from evil c) What do we allow in our homes? Are our homes a sanctuary? Do the words we say build up or tear down? 5) The King would loose it all - Sin will take it away - Guam co-worker (stereo) a) His possessions - You will loose all to sin - there is no gain. - Love and peace are the first to go - You will loose your ; Love, peace, prosperity, respect, joy, wife, husband, children, health, freedom, and your life. Rom 6: 23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. b) His children would also be servants of sin - Exo 20: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me; c) Judgement will come once Satan has you under his control d) Ever seen a prostitute driving a Rolls Royce? Ever seen a happy rich man? e) Sin will get you - no matter how attractive, it is deadly. - Grandfather playing with scissors - Playing with fire - The Moor's - Deno and Diana f) The Dangers of Sin; 1) Ted Bundy was interviewed before his execution by Dr James Dobson. On his deathbed he confessed that what started with a 10 year old boy finding a girly magazine led to a life of lust and desire for more and more, eventually ending in the rape and murder of many young women, and then of course his own death in the electric chair. 2) King David - a man of faith and courage, a man of whom God said was a man after his own heart, a man of unmatched principle and loyalty started on a dark path that forever changed his life, the life of his family, and the nation from just one look. For while he looked, the door of his mind was opened and in came lust. As he allowed the lustful thoughts to linger, the door of his heart was open long enough for Satan to make some powerful suggestions. Acting on those suggestions he opened himself to even more control and influence by the hordes of hell. This path led to adultery, lies, deception, loss of God's favor, death of the child, rape of his daughter, murder of one son and banishment of another, eventually bringing war, rebellion, poverty, more death, and the division of the kingdom. Quite a price to pay for one moment of pleasure. 3) How many marriages have come to ruin from just one seemingly innocent drink or dinner with that person from the office? How many drug addicts started with just a dare from a friend? How many murders started with a little bit of unforgiveness? How many churches have split over just a few harsh words? How many people are even now in the bowls of hell because of a few wrong choices? It is a serious matter. Sin will kill you. 4) Sin brings death. Look at America; Our jails are full to capacity, our cities are war zones, our schools aren't safe, our teenagers are drinking themselves to death, our daughters are walking the streets selling their bodies for another fix, our elderly are being robbed and beaten in their homes, mothers are leaving their children to starve while they party, Fathers that don't know their children's names, women are raped while onlookers walk by, our children are being indoctrinated and brainwashed by the school system into accepting homosexuality, evolution, witchcraft, humanism, New Age, and sexual promiscuity in the name of values awareness. While our children are watching R-rated movies their test scores continue to plummet. Our ghettoes are full, while the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and our children and elderly are left to starve. There is moral corruption and wickedness in high places. We are a nation that has forgotten God. This is the result of sin. Jam 1: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. Notice the pattern: Temptation - Lust - Sin - death Rom 6: 23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Pro 2: 16 It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, 17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. {[17] Or covenant of her God} 18 For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. 19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. Pro 6:20-35 Adultery 6) It could happen to you a) You are not immune to the venom b) A time of testing will come - Jimmy Swaggard c) Don't think, "I am a Christian, I don't have to worry about sin" 2 Kings 18:1-7 Hezekiah was a great man of God - If it could happen to Hezekiah, one of the most righteous kings that ever lived, a man that sanctified his home and his nation and that loved and trusted God with all his heart, It could happen to you. 7) How to protect yourself and your Home a) Purge out the old Leaven 1 Cor 5: 6 Your glorying [is] not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Put to death the old man and his ways. Don't play with sin. Col 3: 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 1 Cor 15: 31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. b) Get rid of the accursed thing. Jos 7:13 remember Achan Jos 7:1-26 c) Called to be separate and Holy 2 Cor 6: 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you 1 Pet 1: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; d) Put blood on the doorposts. Ex 12: 22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning * Why did the Isrealites put the blood on the door posts? Because it was the way into their homes. We need to put the blood on the way into our homes by screening everything that come in. Also put in on the door into our hearts. e) Put up a hedge through prayer (Job 1:5 & 10) Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. f) Do the Jesus test on everything. Would Jesus watch this? Would Jesus do this? Would Jesus say this? James Edward McIntire james.mcintire@ramstein.af.mil