Know Your Enemy

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Know Your Enemy

Unseen Battle

March 27, 2022 • Jonathan Pokluda • Ezekiel 28:12–19, Isaiah 14:12–14, Luke 10:18, Ezekiel 28:18, 1 John 4:4

Do you believe in the devil? If not, why not? If so, how does your belief impact how you live every day? As we start a new series, Unseen Battles, JP teaches through Ezekiel 28, teaching us about the devil, how he works, and how we can resist him.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

-“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” -C.S. Lewis

-If you don’t know your enemy you will suffer loss in every battle.

-Angels are created beings; they have not existed in eternity past like God.

-Angels are stronger and smarter than humans are. One day, humans will sit and judge over them.

-Satan is a fallen angel.

-Did God create evil? No. God created the possibility of evil, but not evil.

-God created satan as good, and good is a thing. The absence of good is evil.

-Light is a thing. Darkness is not a thing. Darkness is the absence of light. Similarly, cold is only a word because hot is a word. Cold is what is left when you remove heat.

-When you begin to focus on what you don’t have you begin to step on satan’s playground.

-Discontentment blinds you from blessings.

-“Is God really good?” is the question behind all questions, along with “Can I trust Him?”

-Satan is on earth.

-Satan is not currently in hell. He is on earth. Someday he will face eternal judgment there, but right now he is on earth.

-Satan is not everywhere on earth. He is not omnipresent. He has likely never been anywhere near you.

-Make no mistake, you can go to church and still worship satan. Anything you do that is not in faith toward God can be worshipful toward him.

-Disney and Marvel and Harry Potter are printing money off the reality of the biblical narrative that we live in: a battle between good and evil.

-Can angels still sin? They have thousands and thousands of years of knowledge and wisdom and revelation that following God is the way to go.

-Satan is a liar.

-Satan’s main lie is “God is not good and you cannot trust Him.”

-Satan calls what is evil good and what is good evil.

-Satan and demons can’t read our minds, but they’ve studied humans for thousands of years and know how to trick and deceive us.

-A common strategy satan uses in 2022 is that you should find “your truth”. There are not multiple versions of truth. There is the Truth, and His name is Jesus.

-The Gospel is the greatest Truth you will ever encounter, and once you know and believe the Gospel, the next is that God’s Word is true and can be trusted.

-We are all part of a supernatural narrative where God is rescuing people from satan through His Son, Jesus.

The Final Battle

May 1, 2022 • Nate Hilgenkamp • Revelation 19:6–21

Have you ever watched a replay of a sporting event where you already knew the outcome? When you know the outcome, it changes how you watch the game. As we finish our series, Unseen Battle, Nate Hilgenkamp teaches through Revelation 19, showing us who wins, who loses, and how we live in light of these truths. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Revelation was not written to confuse the church but to encourage the church. - What you believe about Jesus is of utmost importance; it will directly impact how you live. - Jesus is coming to claim His victory. - Everyone ends up at a feast, but they are two very different feasts. - Satan and his army will lose. - There is no uncontested middle ground in life. You are either living for the glory of God or for the glory of satan. - Jesus taught more about hell than heaven and described it in much greater detail. - The entirety of the Christian life is to prepare for Christ’s return. - Our job is to get ready for the feast. - Jesus wins and then hands us the victory. - This life matters, but what you make important in this life will have eternal significance in the life to come. - When know how everything ends, so don’t get distracted by temporal things here and now.

Battle Ready

April 24, 2022 • Jonathan Pokluda • Ephesians 6:10–18, Psalm 119:98, Genesis 1:26, 2 Corinthians 10:3–5, 2 Corinthians 12:9

Have you ever been injured doing an activity because you didn’t prepare, train, or stretch? There is a spiritual war going on at all times, and if you aren’t ready, you will get hurt. As we continue our series, Unseen Battle, JP teaches us how to prepare for battle by teaching through Ephesians 6. KEY TAKEAWAYS: -You have everything you need in Jesus to be victorious over the enemy. -You cannot fight a spiritual battle with worldly weapons. You must use spiritual weapons. -You can’t be strong, you must become strong, and you become strong by preparing. -In Ephesians chapters 1-3, there are no commands. It’s all about who Christ is and what He has done for you. -You have one enemy: satan. -We don’t think about the spiritual battle we are in nearly enough. We are too busy being and seeking to be comfortable. -Know the truth. -The spiritual battle that is being fought is over the territory of your mind. -If you know what’s true the enemy can’t deceive you. -Satan runs the same game plan today that he has for thousands of years. -again a heart of righteousness. -Christ’s righteousness is imputed—transferred—upon us because of what He did on our behalf. In light of this, we walk and live as He would have us walk and live. -Christians exist to serve and care and show compassion for others. They are the opposite of toxic and a victim. -Christians are focused on serving their King above all else. They do what is right at every turn. -Build on the gospel. -The gospel is your foundation for everything. Absolutely everything. -As Christians, we are always at war, and yet, we can always have a peace that surpasses understanding. -When you are questioning what you believe, return to the foundation of the gospel…to Jesus. Then, build around that. -Hold on to faith. -Is God real? Is He powerful? Is He good? Is He for you? How you answer these questions greatly matter to your faith. -Be mindful of salvation. -The spiritual war is fought over your mind. This cannot be stated strongly enough! -If you change what someone believes you can change everything about them. -Whatever the enemy is going to do to you he won’t do it for long. -People don’t have a worry in the world the week before they go on vacation. The entire Christian life is the week before an eternal vacation. -Have the Word ready. -All of these weapons are tied together around what is true and what you believe. -When Jesus faced direct temptation from Satan in the desert He quoted Deuteronomy 3 separate times. A knowledge and understanding and handle of the Scriptures is of utmost importance for the Christian. Utmost. -Always pray. -All of this armor comes from and belongs to God. The only way you can get this armor is talking to God. -If you are going to fight someone stronger than you you must find someone stronger than them. -Firefighters compete with one another to see who can get their gear on fastest. They run toward fires time and time again because they have everything they need to put out fires. -We have an enemy who is bad, but if we follow God and practice these things, we will be victorious.

The Cure for Dead Religion

April 17, 2022 • Jonathan Pokluda • John 3:1–18

It’s Easter Sunday, and as Christians we celebrate new life because of Easter. However, in order to talk about new life, you must first talk about death. As we continue our series, Unseen Battle, JP teaches through John 3:1-18, teaching us about the reality of all of our condition…a condition that leads to death…and the cure for it. 1) If Satan cannot kill you in rebellion, he will try to keep you in a dead religion 2) The only cure for our condition is Christ 3) The resurrection means death is defeated