"Building a Church Through Outreach"
The Lion Slayer
ELCOG 5/20/07
Text: 1 Peter 5:6-10
I want to preach a sermon that I first wrote and preached in July 1993. This week in prayer I felt like God drawing back to this sermon for tonight’s service. Tonight I want to take a look at a few lions that try to sneak into the church in order to destroy it from the inside out.
Verse 9 in the Living Bible says, "Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord; and remember that other Christians all around the world are going through these sufferings too."
The devil is going to attack. He is going to fight, so be prepared to stand. Get prepared now for future attacks. The enemy is going to throw some things into plan to try to destroy you or to try to make you destroy yourself. But you must stand strong and trust the lord. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that we never are attacked, it just means that we stand firm and trust the Lord.
1. The Lion of Religion:
In Daniel chapter 3 Neb. Told the 3 boys how and when to worship. Religion tries to tell us the same thing. Religion tries to tell you how and when to worship, but if your life is like mine…I have too much to praise him for and I can’t hold it in. You just have no idea what I’ve been through so you can’t make me control my praise. Religion wants to tell me to calm down and quite down, but my spirit is in the praise mode!
Religion Binds Us! We need to fire to fall into our lives and into our churches to loose our bondage. My bible gives me the order to praise…
Psa. 63:3
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Psa. 63:4
4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
Psa. 149:1
1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Psa. 149:2
2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Psa. 149:3
3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
Psa. 150:2
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Psa. 150:3
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
Psa. 150:4
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Psa. 150:5
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Psa. 150:6
6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Psa. 98:4
4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
But Pastor Chris I was raised Methodist or Baptist and I’m not use to this kind of praise. God does not care about your background, he wants your praise! If you are dancer, then dance. If you are a runner, then run. If you are a weeper, then weep. Why aren’t you involved in praise, God is not dead he is alive. God didn’t give a victory shout to sit back and be silent. Its time we take action! Its time we kill the lion of religion!
2. The Lion of Hindrances:
Dan. 6:16
16Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
Dan. 6:17
17And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
Dan. 6:18
18Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
Dan. 6:19
19Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
Dan. 6:20
20And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
Dan. 6:21
21Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
Dan. 6:22
22My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
Dan. 6:23
23Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
You may have all kinds of enemies that fight against you, but God still delivers!
Isa. 54:17
17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Isa. 59:19
19So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
2 Cor. 10:4
4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Its time we put on the armour and fight the enemy. Let’s kill the lion!
Eph. 6:11
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph. 6:12
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph. 6:13
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph. 6:14
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph. 6:15
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph. 6:16
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph. 6:17
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
1 Sam. 17:37
37David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
God Still delivers!
3. The Lion of Refusal to do God’s Call:
Jonah ran from the call of God on his life because he was afraid. He finally swallowed by a great fish. It took a couple of days but Jonah decided to repent and to go forward in the call God had for his life. Don’t you think that its time to move into the area that God has called you into?
1 Pet. 2:9
9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
We need to begin to act like resurrected people.
John 11:25
25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
God has not resurrected people to act dead. He has given you life. God doesn’t give us the fire of the Holy Ghost to leave the room smoky. He wants you to start other fires.
4. The Lion of Excuses:
Luke 8:43
43And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
Luke 8:44
44Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
Luke 8:45
45And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
Luke 8:46
46And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
Luke 8:47
47And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
Luke 8:48
48And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
This lady had all the excuses, but had a desire to touch Jesus. We all have too many excuses. We are too busy, too tired, to worried… God is walking by for you to touch him. Kill the lion of excuses and watch God be God in your life. Push your way through the crowd and through the pain and the confusion and kill the lion of excuses and live a life above circumstances.
God has something special for your life. Kill the lions!
1. The Lion of religion
2. The Lion of Hindrances
3. The Lion of refusal
4. The Lion of Excuses