FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY

Transcription

1 July 8th, 2018 FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY The Enemy Inside Your Home Terry Baldwin 1 STORY: Imagine you tuck your children in bed / An intruder came in trough the window and stole your children What if I was to say: Inside YOUR HOME there is a thief that is stealing the hearts of the children? - You wake up in morning and kids are there - Ready for School - You interact with them BUT their hearts already worship other gods - OFTEN... PARENTS ARE ACCOMPLICE to these other gods I m speaking about ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY - Imagination is the forming of external Ideas or Concepts - Our IMAGINATION is the back door to our Hearts & Minds TODAY Entertainment has so MANY avenues to our Imaginations TV / ipads / cell phones / Internet / Radio If you knew enemy was coming... you d build barriers to stop them - All kinds of defenses - Locks / beef up doors & windows Today s technologies gives enemy access into our homes UNchallenged TECHNOLOGY is not Evil... It is Amoral These things are stealing the hearts and minds of FAMILIES That s why we HAVE to address it

2 WARNING: MOST of Entertainment Industry is satan s territory... he rules here 2 Not going to spend time telling you what problem is REMEMBER THIS... - All Entertainment industry is looking for ADDICTS... THEY NEED THEM! - Gaming Industry / Casinos need them to maintain lifestyles - Pornograhy / need them to sustain empire - They are trolling the waters trying to hook you kids... to finance their empire - Kid s TV Shows - Music Industry How do we snare your child as early as possible and keep him all the way because he has to fund what we are doing?... And that s what we are up against today! WHY IS IT WE DON T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?? 1. PARENTS THEMSELVES are paralyzed If parents are seduced by entertainment industry, it s difficult for them to say to children... You shouldn t do this. - Father with Sports Illustrated said his 12 yr old son interested - How does Father tell son he shouldn t when he does??? 2. DENIAL - We know problem is Huge - We can hardly begin to attack it such a part of our lives - MAYBE if we turn away it will no longer be there

3 3. DON T UNDERSTAND NATURE OF SPIRITUAL CONFLICT - Behind all these things (Bible says) there are principalities and powers and the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. We don t get that. 3 Remember Nancy Regan Just say NO to drugs! campaign? Good advice... but HOW do you just say no?? - When the euphoria and desire and appetite has been enflamed? - Often this advice seems superficial - A Person hooked to heroin said... Heroin has a voice and when heroin calls I must go. - ALL ADDICTIONS have a voice - When they call - we obey How much of Hollywood should we let into our homes?? Tolerate?? TODAY: want to give you 3 TESTS for the Media / Entertainment and 5 Actions we need to take for our FAMILIES #1 CONTENT TEST What s in our Entertainment?? [ 1 John 2:15-17 NLT ] Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever. These are DESCRIPTION of the WORLD

4 4 - LUST of the WORLD / desires of the flesh and illicit sensuality are everywhere - On Internet, ipads, Smart Phones and elsewhere - Their Availability makes them sooo Seductive. - Remember / whole Advertising Industry is based on covetousness - If we didn t COVET... they wouldn t have a job! - PRIDE of LIFE which is center of it all BOTH LUST of Flesh / PRIDE of Life Fuels World s Entertainment by & large [ James 4.4 NLT ] You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can't be a friend of God. - When we befriend the World... God s enemy Because it was the world that nailed Jesus to the cross - EXAMPLE STORY: Home with Knife in glass box that killed only son - When we admire SIN we admire the tool that killed Jesus who died for sinners If we use CONTENT TEST... we would drain the swamp quickly #2 CONTROL TEST [ 1 Corinthians 6.12 KJV ] All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Are you able to CONTROL these things??? - Idolatry is something that is INFLATED to function as Substitute for God - Person / Pleasure / Image / Institution Ask ourselves Am I in charge??... The way to find out

5 - See if you can do without it for 2 weeks - May discover you re not in charge at all 5 #3 CLOCK TEST [ Ephesians NKJV ] See then that you walk circumspectly (be wary, don t take risk), not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. - Redeeming implies: Buy time back - If you re going to serve God you re going to have to buy that time out of a whole host of pressures and opportunities... you Redeem it Who knows what RETURN ON INVESTMENT is?? - Suppose you watch 2 hrs TV day / Over 700 hrs year hrs over 10 YEARS What is your ROI?? - Does it make you Better Person?? - Are you walking Closer to God?? - More info to HELP in journey of Life??...What is your ROI?? Heard Story of person died of cancer... BUT last years of life were in front of TV - Can you imagine standing before Jesus... Well done good and faithful... thou has listen to 14,000 hrs of TV - Think of all the seniors just watching TV... they have YEARS of Productivity ( STORY: Widow in Senior home writing letters to 70 missionaries)

6 - WHAT IS IT about Entertainment Industry that is so IMPORTANT to us?? - What is it in our lives it meets that God cannot?? - What about God s pleasures??? You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. - Psalms Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD - Isaiah 55.6 FIVE ACTIONS TO TAKE #1 RECOGNIZE IT S A SPIRITUAL CONFLICT [ Ephesians 6.12 NLT ] we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. - Ephesians We can t fight that in the energy of the flesh - We are up against huge spiritual forces - We need to recognize that and to fight for our families and for ourselves #2 CLEAN UP OUR OWN ACT - In some Instances you may have to get rid of some things - Remember movie FIREPROOF? / Through out Computer - Lester Sumrall had hotel remove his TV - Purity Speaker who gave up TV 20 yrs ago To this day, put me in a room with a remote control and a television set with an innumerable number of channels and I will be gone.

7 How DESPERATE are we??? Jesus said in Matthew 5 7 [ Matthew NLT ] So if your eye even your good eye causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand even your stronger hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. Parents this next one is for you... #3 SET FAMILY STANDARDS These Standards need to be BASED on the WORD OF GOD!! - Your TEENS WILL Argue and Fight with you - You need to STAND on BIBLICAL Standards and INSIST on them... this wayyou & YOUR KIDS will have Structure - Your kids will say to you... You don t trust me! No, I don t... then say It s because I don t even trust myself I don t trust the devil - We re sexual beings, and temptations out there ARE POWERFUL!! - Very difficult to say NO to - So we set STANDARDS to avoid strong temptations #4 YOU NEED HELP We ALL do! That s why it s important to attend Church - Important to Connect with Christian Friends - Your children have already seen and heard things... - If they are going to live in this world they will be exposed - DON T CONDEMN THEM! - Teach them We NEED GOD S HELP!!!

8 8 - There IS FORGIVENESS AND DELIVERANCE! REMEMBER: Rules without relationship equals rebellion. - It s relationships that help us most - Let it start with you Parents!!! Finally... #5 PRACTICE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES - We re looking for Victory and QUICK FIXES everywhere - Looking for newest PROGRAM to bring Deliverance - GOD SAYS... What we should do is what we should do ALL THE TIME! The WORD Washes Us - Make it a daily practice (like bathing) [ Psalms NLT ] The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. - It s the WORD of GOD that Cleanses us AND Keeps us - Without it we are helpless!

9 9 #1 RECOGNIZE SPIRITUAL NATURE OF CONFLICT #2 CLEAN UP OUR OWN ACT #3 SET FAMILY STANDARDS #4 YOU NEED HELP #5 PRACTICE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES You need a relationship with God!!!