Sunday Worship 11.00 am and 6.30 pm Minister: Dr William (Bill) J M Parker
4. The Devil’s Schemes (1) Self—2 Kings 20:12-19– 4/02/18 (am)
Spiritual Warfare
Sermon Date: 4 February 2018 (am)
The Devil's Schemes (1) Self -
Ephesians 6:10-13 & 2 Kings 20:12-19
Main Teaching Point:
The devil encourages you to be preoccupied with yourself rather than the Lord and your neighbour.
We come to consider some specific schemes of the devil.
The Problem of Self
Even Christians are selfish! Our default is to protect and promote self. The devil knows this! If we yield to his suggestions
it can result in great harm not only to ourselves but to the cause of Christ.
Last time, I established that the problem of self, on one level, is responsible for all sin. When the devil employs subtle, foul, debase schemes to work on our tendency to saturate ourselves with self, he is trying to get us to focus attention where it should not be, and keep it from where it should be. Consider the bad example of King Hezekiah.
Hezekiah’s Blips (2 Kings 20:12-19)
Merodach-baladin of Babylon heard about Hezekiah’s illness and recovery. He sent a delegation with letters and a gift in a political manoeuvre to secure Judah as ally in a coalition against the threatening superpower of Assyria. Hezekiah received the envoy … and showed he was a worthy ally by flaunting his kingdom. The prophet Isaiah rebuked him for this blip – lack of trust in God for Judah’s security (20:16-18). But Hezekiah reasoned "The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?"
(2 Kings 20:19). Another blip!
Hezekiah’s thought reveals three things about him in this season of his life:
1. Hezekiah’s paramount concern was for himself.
Peace and security in his
lifetime. He was concerned for his own comfort. This is the default setting in all of us, even those saved by the grace of God. The devil knows this and will work on it.
2. Hezekiah’s paramount concern was not the honour and glory of God.
He was more concerned about his own comfort than the honour and glory of God. Our concern should always be the honour and glory of God. Self must be pushed into its proper place. Our sinful nature – the flesh – will pull us in the direction of self. The indwelling Holy Spirit will pull us in the direction of honouring God. We must yield to the Spirit.
3. Hezekiah’s paramount concern was not the honour of God in promoting the well-being of his neighbour.
He gave no thought to those who would outlive him, and come after him, and experience the exile Isaiah spoke about. He did not consider his neighbour. Hezekiah was putting self
before others.
Here is a general Bible principle that we must always work hard to keep: God first, others second, self last. The devil seeks to invert and pervert this order.
Conclusion – The Greatest Commandments
How can we avoid Hezekiah’s blips? How can we stand against the devil’s schemes encouraging us to promote self? By seeking God’s grace to obey the greatest commandments: And
[Jesus] said …, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
(Matthew 22:37-39). As we do we will successfully stand against the devil’s schemes that encourage the promotion of self at the expense of love for the Lord and love for our neighbour.
© Dr Bill Parker 2018