Sermon Central
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Beware The Thief
Contributed by Richard Deem on Nov 8, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: The devil has take aim at everyone here this evening! His design is to steal, to kill and to destroy. He will lie to us, discourage us, try to steal from us, entrap us, turn us against each other, and blind us to the will of God. We must understand tha
TEXT: John 10:10
INTRODUCTION: This text is probably one of the most powerful verses in the Bible. Jesus warned His disciples, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy”. Everyone knows who the thief is --- the devil!
The devil has take aim at everyone here this evening! His design is to steal, to kill and to destroy. He will:
-- Lie to us
-- Discourage us
-- Try to steal from us
-- Entrap us
-- Turn us against each other
-- Blind us to the will of God
There is an alarming complacency among many Christians today. They feel as though they no longer need worry about what the devil wants to do to them. But notice this, this evening: No matter who you are, the devil’s design is to kill, to steal and destroy!
He wants to rob young people of their innocence. He is trying to steal our children. He works to destroy our marriages!
The very moment you are lulled into a sense of complacency, thinking you have gone too far for the devil to get to you, then you are in great danger. Whenever you come to the place in life that you think you have arrived, that you no longer have to struggle, battle, and be in conflict with the devil, you are standing on dangerous ground. The devil never gives up! The Scripture exhorts us to: "Take heed when a man thinks he can stand, lest he fall". History is riddled with the "spiritual bones" of Christians who felt they "had arrived", and no longer need to be wary of the devil’s devices. Make no mistake about it, my friend --- he knows exactly where to attack.
Look with me at our text. We find in John 10, Jesus teaching in the temple. In the 10th verse, He compares His mission on earth to that of Satan ("the thief"). “The thief cometh not but to steal, to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. A key word in this verse is the last word -- abundantly. This word comes from the Greek “perrison”, meaning “going beyond what is necessary.” What is the Lord saying? Simply this: “I’ve not come to only ensure you have blood running through your veins and air in your lungs. I’ve not come in order that you might be alive PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND SPIRITUALLY!”
This principle of abundance is clearly outlined throughout Scripture:
They drink their fill of the abundance of Thy house; And Thou dost give them to drink of the river of Thy delights. [Psalms 36:8]
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. [2 Cor 9:8]
Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. [Eph 3:20]
But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. [Phil 4:19]
...we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. [Romans 8:37]
And so, I submit to you that God has given us provision that hedges us against the theft and destruction of our adversary.
You may say, Brother Deem that’s not where I am in my life. I feel like I am simply existing from day to day. I am just waiting to die. I don’t control life, life controls me. Life seems to be rushing on -- pushing me along at a "break-neck" pace. In short, my entire life seems out of synch. I don’t want to do; and don’t seem able to do what I know I need to do.
The Thief is at work in your life, but here’s the good news: There is hope!! You can defeat the Thief! Here’s how:
I. EVALUATE.
The first step in defeating the thief is that we must evaluate where we are. We must make an honest appraisal of our current situation. It’s been said that we can lie to almost anyone except ourselves. You know when things are going well in your life!
The little 5-chapter book of James offers some wonderful advice and counsel regarding the Christian life. In chapter 1, verses 22-25, James stresses the importance of being “doers of the word, and not hearers only”. He compares the “hearers only” to a man who takes a short glimpse of himself in the mirror, and walks away soon forgetting how he looks. However, the “doer” of the Word -- the one who allows the Scripture to shine as a Lame on his path -- is as a man who is constantly looking in the mirror -- evaluating himself -- looking for faults and shortcomings.
