Bondage Breaker (Spiritual War - Abundant life series) Session 1
Aug. 27, 1997 - RAS Joni’s Mkt.
Jesus said I have come to give you two things: Life and life to the poor, have it abundantly. We are now going to call this abundant life series. The objective is to show you how we can live an abundant life to really experience it in your life. Many Christians are like they’re just hanging on for their life. Most of the people that we know are struggling. Turn your bible with me to the first gospel Matthew 13 and here in Matthew 13, Jesus gives a very short parable that talks about the sower that sowing the seeds. How many kinds of soils? Four and they represent four different kinds of the heart and that’s how we learn it and that’s how it taught to us depending on your heart, depending on the soil that you have the results will depend. I have restudied this parable one more time and I tell you it’s a little bit different than that. Let’s go to the interpretation of the parable, sabi ni Jesus sa Matthew 13:9 He who has ears, let him hear." But some of us we have physical ears but others do not have the kind of ears necessary to understand. Matthew 13:18-19, "Hear then the parable of the sower. [19] "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, what happens? the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. What is He saying? Who is there? The devil. Look at Matthew 13:20-21, "And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy; [21] yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. What’s the problem? He heard the word and yet the root did not develop persecution begun to come. Now who do you think is causing all of that? It’s not God, look at the next one, Matthew 13:22, "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Now who’s in charge of world? Why do you think the world is deceiving him? Who’s behind the world? See what world hear means is not yung earth the earth cannot deceive you. It is the system, it’s base the world system and who’s behind that? The devil, behind all these people the devil. Matthew 13:23, "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundred fold, some sixty, and some thirty." If you are experiencing the abundant life, if you have life, what should come out is fruit. If fruit is not coming out of a tree, what happens to the tree? Jesus said, "Putulin mo na, wala siyang use, you’re just occupying space. Go back to John 10:10, Do you notice the context of John 10:10, sabi ni Jesus, "I came that they might have life," but what’s the context? John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. The first part is what most people are unaware of. Tonight we just like to take you through a simple taught. We are in a state of war even though you don’t know it. Many of you are going through life and you think your major problem in life is your boss or your wife or your husband or your child, whoever you’re fighting with. There’s a war going on except it’s an unseen war, we don’t see it, we don’t understand it very well. Si Jesus naintindihan niya yung giyera. Let’s go to Ephesians It’s addressed to Christians. Ephesians 6:10, Why are so many people not living an abundant life? Paul gives a lot of instructions about how to live life lalo na marriage. Ephes. 6:10, Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. It’s a command, Christians have been commanded, be strong don’t be weak. Many Christians are weak because they rely on their own strength, sabi dito, be strong on the Lord. What should we do? Ephes. 6:11, Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Did you notice, it did not say devils what did it say? To stand firm against the schemes of the devil therefor there is this guy the devil. That’s the first thing we need to understand, we are in a war the enemy is called satan. What is his weapon? Let’s read first Ephes. 6:12, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Many Christians are under the wrong teaching that once I believe in Jesus Christ okay na, but do you notice St. Paul he is warning the believers. How would you describe the enemy? Destructive, it leads to destruction, he comes only to steal, to kill and to destroy, evil means you want to destroy. So knocking to your head, the first thing you want to knock in is there is an enemy. If your are going to get married believe it or not you have an enemy. Family is very, very important that’s where he will attack. If you put two imperfect people together this attack is going to be so strong, you will never know what hits you that’s why it’s so important to go through pre-marital counseling. Because sometimes hinde natin naiintindihan yung power ng demonyo.
SPRITUAL WAR
According to the people what is the greatest deception of the devil? The greatest deception of the devil is sometimes in rules like this. Look at John 8:41, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God." You know one of the greatest schemes of the devil is to make you believe you are a child of God when in truth and in fact you are not, that’s at the core of the scheme. See all these people they believe our father is whom? God, in their minds they believe that. Look at John 8:44, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. The scheme, the greatest weapon the devil has is a lie, he schemes so that ang objective ng scheme is to get you and me to believe a lie. If I can make you believe something that is not true I already won. Some of us need to examine ourselves. If you’re coming to bible class, if you’re going to worship, that does not make you a believer, in fact you know what Jesus said? Jesus said, He had a parable call the tails and the sheep that in any congregation you will find? The true ones and the false one. Ang problema yung mga false they think they are true.
Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. What is Jesus saying? Look at Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' These people were doing all sorts of spiritual things and they were calling Jesus double Lord. This is the height of deception. And then what will Jesus say Matthew 7:23, "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' What characteristic do you see of those who are true or false? The criteria is obedience.
John 8:42, Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. You what Jesus is saying here? Basically, The greatest commandment is "Love God with everything you got," don’t have any other god before me, God is a jealous God. What Jesus is saying, "I am the way, the truth and the life no one can come to the Father except through Me." There’s no other name under heaven (Acts 4:7). Look at John 8:43, "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. My objective is to obey what he say. Therefor where is the arena of the battle? The devil works in your understanding, in your mind. Let’s go to 2 Cor. 11:3, But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Do you know that the devil has existed since at least that time, his been there from the day that man fell. The greatest commandment is to love God, Jesus Christ is God at sabi niya if you are the son of God, if you are a child of God the first characteristic you will love Jesus. Do you know that the church in Christ are compared to a husband and wife? That’s why sinasabi mga adulterers daw ang mga Hudyo. If you add anybody else to Jesus Christ What are you doing? It’s like you are married to Jesus and then nangangaliwa ka and every Sunday you do it and you rationalize it and say okay lang ito. Why would they do that? Because their mind have been deceived by the craftiness of the devil and he will lead you away from Christ. What is sin? To break God’s word, kaya pag tiningnan mo yung bible mo at nakalagay dito at ginagawa mo yon that is breaking God’s word.
What we’d like to do in this series is wake you up to the devil and ask you to use God’s word against him. That’s the only sword that God provides. The only sword that we have is God’s word. Kung ang Sword is God’s truth and you don’t even know what God’s truth say how can you use it. We would like you to really discover this truth with us. Turn your bible John 8:31-32, Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; [32] and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." If the devil is lying the only way to counter him is to know the truth. We know the truth and yet we don’t want to set free. If you read Ephesians you will know two things: 1. You need God’s word 2. You need prayer. If you want to set free follow this guideline: