Sermon Central
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Where Lions Feed
Contributed by Robert Simmons on Feb 28, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: Warning to God’s sheep of spiritual dangers in areas where the roaring lion prowls.
Behavioral Patterns of Lions, how he feeds & stalks, give you insight into devil’s activities as it relates to the saints of God.
WHEN THE FIRE GOES OUT, THE LIONS MOVE IN
When in the jungles of Africa, a doctor and his wife, after flying from America and a day of birdwatching and photography, they went to bed in their tent with a campfire outside. They had been warned to keep logs on the fire all night or the lions would come in. The fire was blazing hot when they fell into such a deep sleep that the fire became smoldering embers. When darkness settled in, a lioness stuck her head into the tent and tore the head of the doctor in front of his wife.
When the fire is burning hot, people are talking about what God is showing them, Scriptures they have read, God using them in witnessing. But something happens where they become overly-familiar with the fire and don’t continue to put logs on the fire.
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
WHERE STRAGLERS ROME, LIONS FEED
Animals grazing by themselves. In Africa, lions will lay out watching herds. Lions know their own strength, but he also knows the strength of numbers. When he looks at a herd of zebras, he knows if he attacks one and the herd stampedes, they would trample him. When he sees one rebelliously remove himself and independently feed away from the herd. When that zebra gets far enough away from the pack, the lion prounces, pulls it into the tall grass, goes for the jugular, and has begun eating the meat, before the herd even knew what happened.
Stay in the strength of fellowship. Don’t be a stragler and remove yourself from family of God. The lion is watching.
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
WHERE BUFFALO ARGUE, LIONS FEED
When buffalo become aware of a marauding lion, they make a circle and lock their horns. When they sense a lion is lurking, they instinctively lock their horns and put their hind quarters in and make a big circle. The babies are inside the circle of protection of the buffalos. Whenever their is a male & female buffalo with a disagreement and are being stubborn, there is a gap in the circle. The lion will keep circling until he finds a gap and the lion will rush in the buffalos will rush off and stampede and leave their young vulnerable.
Where there is stubborness, contention, constant bickering, the devil moves in to feed.
WHEN FATHER’S WORD IS DISOBEYED, LIONS MOVE IN
There is a boy one day in the field with his father in Zimbabwe, he said dad I know there a lot of chores to setup camp, but I saw a deer, will you give me permission to go kill that deer and bring back meat for the whole camp tonight? The father said, "NO, it is too late, come back and help setup camp."
The boy disobeyed and went into the field and fired a shot and the deer fell. As the boy approached the deer, it ran off into the woods and the boy pursued it. It became dark and he lost his way in the woods. The smell of the blood brought three lions and the boy climbed up the tree. He stayed in that tree all night with only two bullets left in his gun. When morning came the boy knew he needed to fire a shot so his father would know where he was. He used his remaining two bullets to kill two of the three lions. As the third lion angrily prounced toward the tree, the father came out of the field and fell the third lion. As he gets his son from the tree, he pushes the tree and it crashes down because it was eaten with termites.
