When you have Jesus, you have the best thing that life can offer.

Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

You were designed to carry the most precious, powerful gift of all - the Hope of Jesus - and the dragon wants to disrupt your delivery.

Gifts - always come in boxes.

God’s word talks about containers too. WE are designed to CARRY.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

Literally, we are the containers for the BEST of the BEST. The Holy Spirit.

John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.

REVELATION 12 This is about the attempts of Satan to prevent the increase of the church. Word picture

Revelation 12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and crying out in the pain and agony of giving birth.

Israel bringing forth Jesus.

Revelation 12:3-4 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky, tossing them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, ready to devour her child as soon as she gave birth.

12:13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

12:17 And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

When he didn’t defeat the church, he waged war against the inhabitants of the world.
We are the descendants.

Ways the Dragon tries to steal, kill, destroy the promise of Hope:

The dragon will try to disrupt the delivery of the Truth to you.

Luke 8: 5-15 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”

The dragon will try to delay, destroy and disfigure your hope and faith before it becomes mature.
The dragon wants to kill your promise of hope EARLY.
75 percent of venture-backed startups fail (Harvard Business School study)

Key reasons for that entrepreneurs experienced business failure:

• > Lack of focus
• > Lack of motivation, commitment and passion
• > Too much pride
• > Taking advice from the wrong people
• > Lacking good mentorship (life groups)

The dragon will try to get you to disguise or decorate your hope and faith so others don’t discover it.

2 Timothy 1:7-8 Do not be ashamed of the gospel

• > Even Timothy had to be reminded and encouraged
• > VS 1 Cor 1:27 God chose the foolish things to shame the wise.
• > Even a simple box can carry the most profound power. Life-changing potential.

“I have this conviction, not only should everyone get to hear about Jesus, but everyone should get to have a relationship with a true God follower at least once in their lifetime.” -Ron Barnard

DISGUISE

• > The dragon will also try to make up disguise and decorate the TRUTH.
• > The Bible says not to worry about what you eat or drink or wear.

Jesus’ example: didn’t need adornment, He didn’t have perfect eyebrows or muscles

Isaiah 53:2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

What you carry needs to be shared, discussed, and delivered. We are called to carry the message of Hope well, facing the Dragon and delivering anyway.