Wed 5.3 – A very old bag of tricks

Today’s Readings: Colossians 3.1-7; I John 2.16; Joshua 7.21; Gen 3.6

Alright, today I want to step back from where we’ve been focusing in Colossians 3 and look at a little bigger picture of the scripture as a whole. Let’s talk about some of the facts first as we prepare our hearts for the message tonight. I am going to make some simple points for us to consider then at the end of that list, I will challenge us to do something with what this list teaches us…

1 – The Devil is NOT omnipresent(always everywhere), omnipotent(all powerful), or omniscient(all knowing) – those are things that ONLY belong to GOD!

2 – however, the devil sure has been around for a long time! When a human, that only lives for 70-80 years looks at the devil, he may appear to be these things because of his age and the knowledge of humans he would have gained over that time. Who would know more about ants…a 3^rd grader who burns them with a magnifying glass in his driveway, or a 60 year old scientist who dedicated his life to the study of ants? The same is true of the Devil…he has had 6000 years to learn human weaknesses and frailties, and he knows how to use them to his advantage.

3 – In Colossians 3, we are NOT to SEEK or SET our AFFECTION on the things of where?…EARTH! And what were those things? We said they were things that are motivated by this WORLD, and things motivated by our BODIES. Another fair way of saying “things of earth” would be to say “things of the WORLD” wouldn’t you say? Ok, not carry that into the next question…

4 – In 1 John 2.16 how does God describe the WORLDLY things??? He says “ALL that is IN the WORLD is …” and then gives three categories the THINGS OF THE WORLD can be categorized into, which are –

• Lusts of the flesh
• Lusts of the eyes
• Pride of life

5 – We can go to Genesis 3.6 and see that SATAN obviously knew that when he tempted Eve with the THINGS OF THE EARTH/WORLD in the garden. Notice the progression of Eve’s sin:

• She “SAW that the tree was GOOD FOR FOOD” (lusts of the flesh)
• She decided “it was PLEASANT to the EYES” (lust of the eyes)
• She even thought it was “a tree to be DESIRED to make one WISE” (pride of life)

Eve fell BECAUSE SHE WAS SEEKING AND SETTING HER AFFECTION ON THE THINGS OF EARTH (WORLD) AND NOT ABOVE!!!!! WOW!

6 – Now, we go to Joshua 7.21 and see the same patter is what caused the fall of Achan:

• He “SAW among the SPOILS” of a worldly city that was the enemy of God things that even after he is busted he still considers “goodly” (lust of the eyes)
• He “coveted” those things (lust of the flesh) [Hey! Right here, remember what we talked about last Wednesday about Colossians 3.5 – "covetousness, which is idolatry"!!!]
• He “took” those things God had specifically claimed for Himself! [see Joshua 6.18] (pride of life)

Ending our time with God today, let’s re-read Colossians 3.1-7 and ask God to keep our hearts and minds SET on HIM and the THINGS ABOVE where HE is and where WE are IN Christ. May we not be caught up in the sin that Satan IS going to tempt us by, the same sin he’s always tempted man by, because he knows it WORKS! Even in Colossians 3.5 God warns about the outcome of the lust of the flesh – “fornication”; the lust of the eyes – “inordinate affection, evil concupiscence”; and the pride of life – “covetousness, which is idolatry” !!!

I love you guys! Today, maybe more than ever I am praying for you to STAY AWAY from the SINS Satan uses to snare so many people. I see SIN everywhere I look today, from our media, to our music, to our attitudes, to our character, to our faithlessness, to our apathy and laziness, and I want it to change! I want a generation of CHANGERS. Today, as we prepare to come to the FRIDGE for service tonight, let’s focus our minds NOT on GOING TO CHURCH, but rather on BEING THE CHURCH! Maybe if we thought more like that we wouldn’t struggle as much elsewhere…