If you have your Bibles this morning, I invite you to turn to Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7, I will give a little bit of a notice that we have copies of parking passes to the Creation Museum and also to the Ark Encounter, and they start November the 29th, and that's when they have their Christmas decorations up, the lights and everything, and it's pretty spectacular if you go there. But this will save you $15 on the parking and getting into the place. So if you'd like to go to either one of those, we've got them right outside in the foyer. The ARC is about 45 minutes down the road. You got the museum, which is a little bit further, probably about 30 more minutes down past the ARC. But each one of them, I'm sure it would be a challenge to you, a challenge as far as seeing how God has created things. They've got a tremendous ministry there. Lydia and I were there this past week for a pastor's conference, and let me tell you, it was very encouraging, because their whole theme was the authority of the Word of God. I would not be up here before you today if the Word of God was not God's authority. What I proclaim and what I preach, it's based upon God's Word. And therefore, I have a solid stand. And I'm not gonna deviate from that. I want you to notice what the Word of God says. We need a strong foundation. The Word of God tells us over in 1 Timothy 2, in verse 19, that the foundation of God stands sure. Having this seal, The Lord knows them that are His, and let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." God's foundation is sure. If you call yourself a child of God, the Lord knows if you're His or not. If you're His, and you proclaim to be His, The Word of God tells us you need to depart from iniquity. Now that picks up where we left off last week when we were looking at in chapter seven, verses 21 through 23. Our figure up here says verses 24 through 27, but let me say, verses 21 through 23 is very important because it's got a very solemn warning to it. It's not something trivial that we ought to just read over and just keep reading. because there is a strong caution to us as professing believers. We looked at the importance of that and how we ought to examine ourselves. The Word of God tells us over in the book of 2 Corinthians how we are to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith or not. It is important that if you're a child of God, you examine yourself. Because as the Word of God says, many are going to say in that day, Lord haven't we done all these things? And the Lord is going to profess, I never knew you. There are many that are self-deceived. We have heard in recent times of one Christian pastor that's fallen into sin, but it was over a period of five years. It's finally come to light. We have heard of others that have fallen into sin that profess the name of Christ. And you know what? As a child of God, there's none of us that are above temptation. Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Therefore, I want to bring to you this morning some from the word of God of how we ought to even further examine ourselves and even have further caution as we go through life. My message is not right from this text this morning. I want you to look over in Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians chapter six, the word of God tells us in verse 10, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. That word power, dunamis, or we get the word dynamite, it's in the ability, his strength. We need to stand in his strength, not in our own strength. Let him who thinks he stand take heed, lest he fall. So here, as the Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus, he's warning them and cautioning them that you need to have the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. We need to put on this armor of God. The Apostle Paul likens it unto a Roman soldier, how he has certain pieces that he puts on to defend himself and to guard himself when he goes into battle. The life of you as a child of God is a daily Christian battle. And if you go without armor on, let me tell you something, Satan is going to ding you. He is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The Word of God says, for we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. The arguments that you might have with a co-worker, The arguments you might have with your children, if your child backtalks you, or if you respond differently to your child than you should, let me tell you something, we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. You've got to see clearly here. That person that cuts you off on the road and gives you road rage, you gotta remember you're in a spiritual battle. You never know what that person's going through. They may be rushing to the hospital because of an emergency. You don't know. And here you are fussing and blah, blah, blah. You know how we are in the flesh. Here the Word of God says we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but we're wrestling against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. This is not something that we see with our physical eyes. Therefore, often we respond in the flesh. We respond against someone because of spiritual wickedness in high places. Let me tell you something, your aim is in the wrong direction. If you're shooting at the pastor, you know what, you're shooting at the wrong person. Don't shoot me. The Word of God says, we're foretaken to you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand. in the evil day, to withstand. Something's coming. Something went over in our class this morning, as far as in the finance classes, Murphy's Law. If something bad will happen, it's gonna happen. In other words, a rainy day's coming. Let me tell you something, Satan is prowling around, seeking whom he may devour. If you're a child of God, he cannot have your soul, but let me tell you something, God permits he can wreak havoc in your life. And if your heart is fertile ground for sin, let me tell you something, you're a disaster waiting to happen. Therefore, the Apostle Paul is cautioning us that we can, having done all, we can stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. Be grounded in the truth of God's word. Having on the breastplate of righteousness, guard your heart, the righteousness of Christ, is the only righteousness we have to stand before God. Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Wherever you go, you need to be taking the gospel to a lost and dying world because people need to be reconciled unto God. They're at enmity with God. Therefore, they need peace with God, which only comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ. And above all, take the shield of faith. wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. As Satan shoots those fiery darts at you, you realize you're not wrestling against flesh and blood, and therefore your faith sees through all that. And take the helmet of salvation, have a no-sow salvation, know that you know that you know the Lord Jesus Christ, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, watching therein too with all perseverance and supplication for the saints. All saints is what the Apostle Paul says. I do believe this fits in with what we're talking about in verses 21, 22, and 23 in Matthew chapter seven. The word of God is telling us that many are self-deceived and many that Satan attacks because they think they have a solid footing, but they're trusting in the arm of flesh, or trusting in their own ability, and because of that, they're easily conquered by Satan. The word of God tells us over in 2 Corinthians 2 in verse 10, to whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it for your sakes, forgave I it in the person of Christ. And he says, lest Satan should get an advantage of us. Satan wants the upper hand in your life. Though you're a child of God, Satan wants an upper hand in your life. But again, the apostle Paul warns us and tells us In verse 11, because we are not ignorant of his devices, do you have wisdom to see how Satan works? Do you know his methodology? Do you know his tactics? I'm afraid there are some Christians that are ignorant of how Satan works. He's very subtle. Therefore, I want to approach here in this passage of scripture of how we should examine ourselves, but also how we need to be aware of Satan's devices. I do believe we're living in a time where with social media and technology the way it is, We've got young kids with smartphones, access to anything and everything. You can watch things that you shouldn't be watching. You've got things that pop up on the phone. You don't even have to search, it's searching you. Remember, Satan's like a roaring lion prowling around, seeking whom he may devour. We wonder why How could someone who some people deem as spiritual giants, as far as pastors and preaching and faithful in the word, seemingly fall into sin? I want you to look in the book of Genesis. And I want you to see how Satan works. In Genesis chapter two, In verse 16, the Lord God commanded the man, that is Adam, saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat. God had made all things. He's created the world and all that's in it, the animals, the fish, the birds, the trees, the bushes, the vegetation, And you know what, God saw everything and what was it? It was good. Everything is good that God has made by chapter two. It's beautiful. It's flawless. This world that God created before sin entered in is perfect. Can you imagine being Adam in that garden. God gave him a beautiful wife. Perfect. Imagine that. No worries. A flawless life of living. No restrictions because there's no sin. Can you imagine living in such a world? Here is Adam, seems like he's got everything. The Lord God took the man, verse 15, put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. He didn't have to sweat, didn't have to work hard, just dress and keep the garden. And the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but, but of the tree of knowledge and of good and evil. you shall not eat of it, for in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die. God is given, look in verse nine, out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight. The trees were good looking. Have you ever seen a good looking tree? When God created it, these trees were good looking and good for food. the tree of life, also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God had made everything good. And he's saying, of every tree, you can freely eat, freely have everything. Notice how abundantly God is giving. He's so generous. He gives Adam and Eve everything they want. But there's one restriction, just one restriction, one tree out of all the earth. Now think about that. All the earth is under your domain, but there's one tree. This shows God's great love by giving and giving and giving. how God has blessed us with so much that he gives, but just stay away from this one thing. This only thing that God kept from them, and God's keeping it from them for their good. It's not because he don't like them. He's given them the abundance of things. The whole world is theirs. Notice he says in chapter one in verse 28, and God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, multiply. replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." They're in full control of all things, but this one thing, this one little tree, maybe it's a big tree. I don't know how big the tree was. It doesn't say. There's no sweat. There's no hard labor. There is no sin. Eve didn't back talk Adam. Adam didn't boss around Eve. You notice this environment. But what happens? Here's one thing. One thing you cannot partake of. What is human nature? You ever seen a child around a stove and you caution the child and what do you tell that child when the stove is hot? Don't touch it. And what does a child just want to do? That child just wants to touch it. It's the only thing you give the child permission, you don't give them permission to touch. You can touch anything, don't touch that. Next thing you hear, turn around. They touched it. What happens is we become preoccupied and obsessed with what you don't have instead of all the abundance that God's blessed you with that you do have. When you become so obsessed with one thing, you forget about what you got. because that one thing consumes your thoughts. And here's Adam and Eve in this garden, one thing, tree of knowledge and good and evil. Why won't the Lord let us partake of that? He just said don't. I wonder what's, you know, they had to think about it. So what Satan does, here's his first device. In chapter three in verse one, Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field, which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, yes, has God said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Did God say you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? What Satan does, he sows a seed of discontent. They become discontented because they can't partake of that one tree. Look at verse four. The serpent said unto the woman, you shall not surely die. For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be open and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. There's just that one thing. Have you ever been obsessed with one thing? Got one thing on your mind and that one thing, you can't have that one thing that you want because God says you shouldn't have it. You remember Esau sold his birthright for what? A bowl of porridge. I'm gonna die, I need that bowl. I gotta have that porridge. I gotta have that soup. I'll give you anything, just give me that soup." Sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. You can go into the book of Joshua. You remember as Israel was conquering the land and God told them, don't take anything from those you conquer. There was one man named Achan. Achan took the Babylonian garments. He took some nice clothes. Back in that day, they didn't have closets. They lived in tents. But here's a Babylonian garment. It looks really, man, I'd look sharp in that. Here's a little bit of gold and a little bit of silver. I'll just hide it under my tent. He became so obsessed with that one thing, that one thing, and he lost his life over it, and the life of his family over one thing. You can go on and read other stories. Look in the book of Esther, chapter five. Over in Esther, the fifth chapter, here's the story about Haman. I'm getting there. In Esther, Chapter 5. Look down in verse 9. You remember who Haman is. Haman is like second in power in Persia. He had everything he wanted. The king had made the citizens bow down to Haman. And notice what the Word of God says down in verse 9. Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with glad heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman refrained from himself. When he came home, he sent and called for his friends and Zerush his wife. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things of wherein the king had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the princes and the servants of the king. Haman said, moreover, yeah, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king into the banquet that she had prepared but myself. And tomorrow I'm invited unto her also with the king." Haman is listing everything, that's all the blessings he's got. He's got the world in his hands. But notice what he says in verse 13, yet all this avails me nothing. So long as I see Mordecai, the Jew, sitting at the king's gate. You see, Haman is consumed with one thing. Mordecai, don't bow down to me. He's got all the world in his hands. He's got everything. But Mordecai is not showing him honor. So he's obsessed with that. You know the story, how it ends. Haman lost his life building a gallows for Mordecai and he ended up being hung on it himself. The truth in God's Word that God reveals to us, it's not just a story that we read and should pass by because the same thing that's true of them is the same human nature that we've got in our day and time. We can become so easily focused on one thing that can destroy our lives. We think of the story over in 2 Samuel. You know the story of chapter 11 of David and Bathsheba. David, all the kings went out to war but not David. And he spies Bathsheba, beautiful woman, bathing. David says, I've gotta have her. I've gotta have that woman. She's married to another. You know the story he sins for. She becomes pregnant. He has her husband killed by the enemy. But if you were to look over in that passage of Scripture, in 2 Samuel chapter 12, down in verse 7, when David is finally confronted, Nathan said to David, you're the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. I gave you your master's house, I gave you your master's wives into your bosom, I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto you such and such things. I would have given you, given you, given you, given you, and that's the way God is. God blesses and God blesses, but here's David. He's focused on one thing, and I've got to have that one thing. Bathsheba. we saw how that wrecked David's life. A man after God's own heart, how his house became divided, all because there was some contentment, discontentment in his life. The Word of God tells us, Colossians chapter 3 and verse 5, that covetousness is idolatry. When you covet something, it's idolatry. And once you start coveting something, that feeds discontentment because you don't have it. Here's a problem and root cause of every sexual sin. If only you had that one thing. And when you don't get what you want, what do you do? If you don't get things your way, what do you normally do? Come on. Prince is answering for me. He's murmuring. You start murmuring. You start complaining, don't you? If you don't get what you want on your way about one thing, then you start getting discontent and start complaining and start showing out the lips of your mouth, a child of God, complaining. You might start making excuses. Well, I deserve this. I deserve that. God made me this way. Once you get what you want, remember Brother Benjamin Baker, years ago, preaching the sermon on David and Bathsheba, David got what he wanted, but didn't want what he got. And that's so true when it comes to sin. You get what you're lusting for, then you realize you didn't want what you got. So you move on to something else that you start lusting for. In Genesis chapter 3 and verse 4, the serpent said unto the woman, you shall not surely die. What Satan is doing, we see he sows seeds of discontentment and then what he does, he starts undermining the very Word of God. God said, you shall surely die. Here comes the father of all lies saying, you shall not surely die. Do we not see the undermining of God's word in our day and time today? Let me tell you, it is culture thick. Why do you have all these isms in our world? It's because of an undermining of the word of God. Here is Satan, the father of all lies, saying you don't need to believe him who is faithful and true. You need to believe me. You need to doubt the truth. That's what Satan's doing. Doubt God's character. God's holding something back good that you really want and you really need. how much trouble in your life and mine could be avoided if we simply believe God's Word and put it into practice daily. Let me tell you something, our trouble comes from unbelief, disbelief. Satan goes on to say in verse 5, for God knows in the day that ye eat thereof your eyes are going to be open and you're going to be wise. You're gonna be as the gods, you're gonna know good, you're gonna know evil. In other words, all you gotta do is take a bite of that fruit. You take a bite of that fruit and then you can be your own person. Then God won't have to tell you, you can't eat that, you can't do this, you can't do that. Do what you wanna do. In other words, you're not accountable to anybody. There's no accountability. Don't worry about that. Boy, isn't that true in our day and time how Satan works? People don't want accountability. People want to be free to do what they want to do. To serve self instead of serving the Creator. So what do we do? I want you to ponder with me for a moment. What do we do when we become discontent? Don't raise your hand, but how many of y'all become discontent in life at times? Boy, let me tell you something, as Satan's sowing a seed, watch out. Satan deserves you to be discontent. What happens When that starts entering into your life, what happens, let me tell you, Satan starts highlighting that and he starts feeding that. He starts highlighting the object of desire or something to lust after that God's forbidden and says, no. And what becomes in your life is what happens in other people's lives too. You become blind to all that God has blessed you with. God has given you so much. Every one of us in here, even the poorest, you know what, we're better off than a lot of people in third world countries. God has given us pleasures, but what happens is when you start becoming discontent, your focus is blinded to all those blessings, and you start trying to justify your lust. God's made me this way. God's given me this desire. Well, that person, I could bring joy to their life. They could bring joy to my life and wouldn't just have a good old time. God's given me these feelings. I've got these emotions because that's the way God's made me. You know, it goes on and on and on. how we as people try to justify our sins. You even convince yourself, there'll be no consequences in my life, nobody'll know. Other people, you've seen other people's lives ruined, but it won't affect me. Let me tell you something, be sure your sins will find you out. Sin has consequences. There's always repercussions to sin. When you disobey God, there's consequences. We might say, well, if I sin, God's grace will cover that sin. God's grace will abound. Should we sin that grace may abound? What does it say in Romans chapter six? God forbid. This is a message today that runs throughout the word of God concerning our human nature, our sinful nature, our fallen nature. What do you do? when you start becoming discontent. Then you start doubting God's word. Then you start desiring to have your way. Do you refocus and see God on the throne or do you give in? So many people have ruined their lives. Are you willing to throw your family under the bus, your friends, loved ones, your testimony, throw it out the window. The Word of God tells us, be strong in the Lord in the power of His might. Because we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. But I want you to see how Satan is working. Because if you're ignorant of his vices, you're going to fall right into his trap. And you won't be the first one who fell into his trap. I think at times we need to step back and observe all the blessings God has given us. God has blessed us richly, each and every one of us. Think of all the pleasures in life God has given you. You need to speak truth to your soul. Speak the word of God to your soul. Don't let Satan undermine you. Beware of becoming discontent in your life. God has you in life right where you need to be. And if you're a child of God, he is fashioning you into the image of his dear son. We go through trials, we go through hard times because God's fashioning us, molding us into the image of his son. Beware of discontentment because what it brings is complaining and murmuring. I'm going to tell you what ought to mark your life if you're a child of God, instead of discontentment, is gratitude. If you can be thankful unto God in whatever comes your way, I'm not saying being thankful for tragedies, But I am saying being thankful for God that He's there with you through tragedies. Being thankful unto God because you're His child. And all the blessings He's blessed you with as we look in Ephesians chapter 1 with spiritual blessings and heavenly places. You know what? We can thank on that and we can thank and thank and just praise God continually throughout our life if our lives were focused on that. The apostle Paul said, godliness with contentment is what? Great gain. 1 Timothy chapter six. In 1 Timothy chapter six over in verse six, I close with this. If I can find 1 Timothy there, 1 Timothy chapter six and verse six. And I've got to have the wrong, I'll tell you what it is. The Apostle Paul said, that whatsoever state I'm in, I am content. If a church took up a love offering for him, he was content. If he was hungry and nobody took notice of him, he was content. In other words, the Apostle Paul knew how Satan worked. And he was not discontent. He was grateful. Our lives ought to be marked by that one thing, being grateful unto God. God has loved you so much that He gave His only begotten Son. Send Him as a sacrifice, a substitute in your place where you deserve the wrath of God. And if God's saying no to you in certain areas of life, you need to follow the Lord. There are images you're looking at that you shouldn't be looking at. You need to cut off what you're looking at. If your eye offends you, what are you to do? Pluck it out. Let me tell you an easier way with that. If your eye is offending you by looking at your smartphone, cut off your smartphone. You hear what I'm saying? Until we deal with sin, sin will be our master. We've got to see sin as something that is exceedingly sinful. that sent our Lord and Savior to the cross. If you are in sin and you're not turning from sin, you need to examine yourself whether you're in the faith. If you're in sin and there's no conviction You need to be born again. You need to turn, repent, and put your faith and trust in Christ. There is so much discontentment in our world today. May that not be so in our lives. May we ever be thankful because of God's goodness. We're gonna give a hymn of invitation. This all stemmed from the thought of thinking, many are going to say to me in that day, Lord, Lord. Many people think they're going to heaven. But they're consumed with sinful thoughts. Don't wait till Judgment Day to say, Lord, Lord. I pray you bow before Him today and acknowledge Him as Lord and surrender your life to Him. And as that song says, wherever He leads I'll go. May we add to that whatever He wants me to say, that's what I'll say. Whatever He wants me to do, that I'm going to do. I want to follow Jesus. I want to live my life for Him. I want to serve Him. Whatever it takes for a surrendered life. Is your life surrendered to Him today? Let's stand and go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we thank you for your word and how you show us the schemes of the devil. And how so many people in our day and time are deluded, deceived. And some are possessed with things in their lives, in their thoughts that they've become obsessed and discontent with the things that are in their life. Lord, I pray that you would convict of sin and convince that our surrendered life is a life that will glorify you and be for our good. I ask that you help us to become convinced to live for your glory, for Christ's sake. Amen. We're gonna sing Rock of Ages. Would you simply respond as the Lord's laying upon your heart any issues you need to deal with. You need to talk to me, I'm up front. You need to be right where you at. Deal with your issues with the Lord right where you are. Make things right with Him.