Remedies against Satan's devices which sounds like an old title for an old book But precious basically means valuable and devices means means of facing Satan's attacks and it's a very helpful book. I actually recommend it to you even though it's old I recommend it to you because he really thinks a lot about what are Satan's devices and We are reminded, Paul says, we're not ignorant of Satan's devices, but I fear that perhaps sometimes we are. So what Brooks does is he goes into Satan's devices and then he thinks about how do we face these devices or these schemes, these plans, these attacks of Satan. And in a portion of the book where Brooks talks about how Satan attempts to get various types of men and women to sin, he gets to talking about the saints and he lists one particular way that Satan tries to work among believers and he says it is the great device that he has to destroy the saints is by working them first to be strange Now he's not talking about us being odd, although some of us maybe are odd. He's talking here about being at odds with one another. Making them, by working them first to be strange, and then to divide, and then to be bitter and jealous, and then to bite and devour. You know, he says bite and devour. He's quoting from Galatians 5, 15. So Satan does often work to divide the saints. And our first time together we looked at the first four remedies of how we face this divisive strategy of Satan. The first is to dwell more upon one another's graces than upon one another's weakness and infirmities. We might say to look for the good that God is doing in your brothers and sisters. It's a helpful way of facing this divisive Satan. The second is to consider that love and union make the most for your own safety and security. Or to remember that you are safer when you are in unity with your brothers and sisters. like a wolf, likes to pick off those saints that are not in communion with his or her brothers and sisters. The third remedy that we talked about is to dwell upon the commands of God that tell us to love one another. And we looked at quite a few of those that night. And then a fourth remedy that we considered, I've got my papers all out of order here. Pardon me for a second. The fourth remedy was to dwell upon the choice and sweet things in which we agree, rather than on those things wherein you differ. So think about those spiritual things that you have in common, the common beliefs that we have, the common experiences, the common loves that we have. The fifth remedy, he said, is to remember that God essentially is the God of peace. And he goes on to say that if the God is the God of peace, God's children should bear the characteristics of God in his peace. And that a person cannot truly have assurance of salvation if they are constantly bickering with their brothers and sisters. The sixth remedy was to take more care and conscience of keeping up your peace with God. He pointed to the Old Testament passage. It says that when a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. So are we keeping up our peace with God? Are we living to please God? The seventh remedy was to dwell much upon the near relation and union that is between you. In other words, to remember that we are brothers and sisters. That we are, as brothers and sisters, members of the same body. We are, as brothers and sisters, fellow soldiers. We are, as fellow soldiers, fellow sufferers. We are, as fellow sufferers, fellow travelers on the path to heaven. And we are, as fellow travelers, fellow heirs of the same rich inheritance that God has provided for us. And then the eighth remedy, and the last one that we looked at, was to dwell upon the miseries of discord. That there is much misery, there is much sorrow, when there is a lack of unity. So tonight I want to look at the last four remedies, or the last four ways that Brooks encourages us to face Satan's divisive strategies. So number nine, His ninth strategy is this, to seriously consider that it is no disparagement to you to be first in seeking peace and reconcilement, but rather honor to you that have begun to seek peace. If I could put this in maybe more contemporary terms, we could say there is great honor in seeking peace. Now, why would Brooks remind us of this? Well, there are times when in our own sinfulness and stubbornness, we have this tendency to think that we are somehow the less if we reach out to try to reconcile with someone who we are at odds with. That somehow it shows that we are weak. Well, the scriptures would tell us something very different. Brooks gives the example of Abraham. You might remember the story of Abraham and Lot when their servants are at odds with one another. Who was it that sought for reconciliation? Was it Lot who was younger, who had more responsibility before the more honorable and older Abraham, who was the head of the clan? No, it was Abraham. who was the one who was more honorable, the one who was older, he was the one, he was the one who sought for reconciliation. Brooks says this, ah, how doth the God of peace by his spirit and messengers pursue after peace with poor creatures? God first makes offer of peace to us. And he quotes 2 Corinthians 5, verse 20. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. In bringing up this point, he is stating that God himself is the one who is the injured party, and yet God as the injured party, the one whom we have sinned against, he is the one who takes the steps for reconciliation and peace. He is the one that seeks peace. He says as well that it is Christ who sent first to Peter who had denied him. Peter was the one that wronged Christ, denying him three times. And yet was it not Christ who reached out to Peter? Peter, do you love me? Peter, do you love me? Peter, do you love me? is Christ, even before that, who said in Mark chapter 16, verse 7, go your ways and tell his disciples, he says this to the women at the tomb, and Peter, the angels said this on Christ's behalf, go tell the disciples and Peter. Peter, the one who had failed, Peter, the one who had denied. The angels point out specifically that it is Christ's will that Peter know where Jesus was, and that they were to go and see him. Brooke says this, souls, it is not a base low thing, but a God-like thing. Though we are wronged by others, yet to be the first in seeking after peace. Such actings will speak out much of God with a man's spirit. This is proven by not only example, in scripture, Brooks says, but it's also proven by exhortation. In other words, there are commands in scripture that tell us to do this. We're not just looking at good examples, we are exhorted to do so. So let's take a look at a couple of these really quickly. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 14. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 14. And here the scripture says, Hebrews 12, 14, pursue peace with all people and holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Notice the beginning of that verse, pursue peace with all people or follow after peace with all men. Some of you might read, pursue peace with all men. Look with me at Psalm 34 in verse 14. Psalm 34 in verse 14, we have another command that we are to pursue peace. Here the scripture says, depart from evil and do good, Seek peace and pursue it. One more, Romans chapter 14 and verse 19. Romans chapter 14 and verse 19, we are told, therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify one another. Notice these expressions. Pursue peace. You pursue something. You're running after it. You are exerting effort. This last week, one of the concerns over the course of the year, one of the concerns I've had about the students is that as the weather has gotten colder, many of them want to stay inside at school. And we've had a lot of sports games and practices going on. So when they stay inside, they can't use the gym. And so what's happening is they're not getting a whole lot of fresh air and exercise. But someone, and I'm not even sure who it was that had the idea first, decided, let's just play a game of tag. And so the kids have been going outside and just playing tag. And it's been great to see. I mean, it might seem strange to have 9th grade and 10th grade kids playing tag, but I'm glad to see them running around. Now, one thing that happens in tag is that the person who's it has to pursue the ones who are not it in order to get them tagged and make them it. Now I know that there's all kinds of different ways that you can try to get someone to be it. You can pretend that you're not it and then tag them or you can hide and sneak up on them. But very often what I'm seeing as I look outside is the kids running all over the place playing tag and they're pursuing one another. Because that's part of the game. It takes effort. And they often come inside, and in the past they would complain about how the room was too cold. Now they come inside and say that it's too hot. And the reason for that, of course, is because they've gotten very warm by running around outside. Pursuing it. To earnestly pursue. To run after. And this is what the scriptures tell us that we are to do with peace. that we are to pursue peace, pursue the things that make for peace. And so Brooks says, are you froward? And again, he's talking about the cantankerous person, froward, sour, dogged Christians. Can you look upon these commands of God without tears and blushing? So let us remember that it's not a dishonorable thing to seek peace, but rather an honorable thing, even if we are the ones who have been wronged. Remedy number 10. I'll read you Brooks's way of expressing this, and then I'll give the Barts paraphrase that might be more memorable. Brooks says the 10th remedy is, for saints to join together and walk in the ways of grace and holiness so far as they do agree, making the word their only touchstone and judge of their actions. If I were to paraphrase this, I would say walking unity in the ways that you can with scripture as your only ultimate judge. We may together walk in unity and are far more likely to walk in unity when it is the scriptures that are actually our judge about what constitutes the grounds for unity. Now, I understand that we have differences of opinion. And if Mike were here, he would probably resonate with this. Mike and I have differences of opinion about who we cheer for when there's a hockey game going on. Mike and I once, Mike was kind enough to take me to a Leafs game one time, and the Leafs were playing the Flames. He's a Flames fan, and I'm a Leafs fan. Well, we can still be in unity together, though we cheer for different teams. That's not really an essential issue, right? And that seems obvious to us, but how often do things that are much more trivial in nature become points of division? Because we're unwilling to flex on those things, and we're unwilling to consider that what really matters most is what the Word of God says matters most. And so, you hear about churches that divide up over things that seem very, very silly. I've heard before, this is probably not a true story, but maybe it is, who knows. The story was that there was this guy in a church and he was always talking about predestination and election. And everybody else in the church was getting annoyed at him. Kept talking about predestination election. Everybody was angry at him and came time for a church picnic apparently. And this guy walked up and grabbed himself a great big piece of chicken and put it on his plate and he said, I was predestined and foreordained before the foundation of the world to eat this piece of chicken. And apparently someone snatched it off his plate and said, well, it ain't so this time, buddy. And that led to apparently a church split. Well, that seems like a very silly and trivial thing, although it does touch on a theological issue. So often churches split over things that aren't the most important things, and aren't the things that God's word reveals as the most important. Try to sort through this. I know it's, again, I know it's older English, But think about what Brooks says in this section of his book. He says, ah, Christians, God loses much and you lose much and Satan gains much by this, that you do not, that you will not walk lovingly together so far as your ways lie together. It is your sin and shame that you do not. that you will not pray together, hear together, confer together, mourn together, because that in some far lesser things you are not agreed together. What folly and madness is it in those whose way of a hundred miles lies fourscore and 19 together? So fourscore and 19 is 99, fourscore is 80 and 19. So he says, what folly and madness is there, that if there's people on a journey, One group is going 100 miles, the other group is going 99 miles. This is the scenario. Yet will not walk so far together because they cannot go the other mile together. Picture that. They're all on a journey, heading to the same direction. One group is going 99 miles, the other group is going 100 miles, and they won't go together because they're not going to be walking that last mile together. He says, yet such is the folly and madness of many Christians in these days, who will not do many things that they may do because they cannot do everything they should do. May God give us grace and wisdom with this. That we can agree much with brothers and sisters. And just because there is some other minor point that we may not agree with, we divide and become angry with one another. Brooks then points us to the fact that we need to make sure that it truly is the Word of God that is the judge over claims and our conduct. Make sure that it is God's Word. So often personal preference gets in the way, that we like this or don't like that. And yes, Some of those things are simply a part of who we are, and sometimes it governs what we do, and sometimes there are things that are not right or wrong, they're just different. But just because we differ on one small area that is not at the heart of the matter does not mean that we cannot enjoy fellowship in other areas. I think about this when I think about Hope Church, right? If you have been here early on a Sunday, you know that Hope Church is a little different than we are. Their musical style is a little bit different than we are. Their pastoral staff is a little bit different than I am. Their way of the service is a little bit different. But I would say that for 99% of the things, despite all those differences, 99% of what they hold, we would hold. And many of the things, it's not a matter of what's right or wrong, it's a matter of what's different. And I might have the same principle in mind from scripture and might apply it a different way than they do. We can enjoy friendship and fellowship with them even though they're different from us. Even though maybe you would not attend their church regularly on a Sunday morning, yet it would not be a wrong thing to visit their church on some Sunday morning and to be edified together with them. and thus with them and us as well. And so, make sure that it is the word that judges our claims and conduct, and walk in fellowship so much as you can. Brooks says this, make not your dim light, your notions, your fancies, your opinions, the judge of men's action, but still judge by rule and plead it is written. Brooks is not saying throw all judgment and discernment out. That's not what he's saying. He's saying just make sure that when you're discerning things, that it is God's word that is the foundation. Not your opinions, not your notions, but God's word. Still judge by rule and plead, it is written. And I thought about this as well as I was reading over this and preparing for tonight, The church that our family attended when we were away, when I needed that break over the summer and then into the fall, the church that I went to in the morning, they don't do everything the way that we do. But it's an excellent church. I don't agree with them on every single point of theology. Our views on the end times, myself and the pastoral staff there, are different. But I can enjoy true and deep fellowship with those believers and with those leaders of that church because we agree on so much. The church that I went to in the evening as well, much more conservative in its expression than the church that I went to in the morning. And even as strange as it may seem, even more conservative than our church and even its musical expression. The pianist that played the songs only played the notes of the song, nothing else. So, the exact notes of the tune. That's okay. And I can enjoy fellowship with them. And it's interesting that as I was there at that church, knowing some of the speakers that they had come in and speak, I know that the speakers that they had come and speak while I was visiting that church were from churches that had a lot more, we could call freedom of expression when it came to how they did their worship service. But they had great fellowship together because they agreed on what was most important. So there are things that we would do together, and there might be things that we wouldn't do together. But may the things that we wouldn't do together be actually decisions that we've made on the basis of true biblical principle. May they, if they are matters of preference, may we be willing to still fellowship with someone. And when it comes to these things, let us walk in fellowship as much as we can. This is why doctrine is important. It really is why doctrine is important. Because there are a lot of churches that are conservative like us in their expression, but they have not had the gospel in their church for years. Doctrine is important. And so God's word must be that which distinguishes. Well, I need to move on here very quickly. Let me mention the last two, or maybe not very quickly, because these are weighty ones as well. The 11th remedy is this, and this is an important one, brothers and sisters, to be much in self-judging. So Satan wants to divide, wants us to be angry with one another, wants us to be dividing up, wants us to be at odds with one another, wants us to bite and devour one another, wants us to be doing this. But God's word calls us to be self-judging. In fact, we are told to judge ourselves that we would not be judged. This is something that we should be doing regularly in general. It's also something that we are urged to do in connection with the Lord's table, to examine ourselves. Paul tells the Corinthians on more than one occasion to judge themselves, to examine themselves, and we ought to be doing the same. Brooks says this, Ah, were Christians' hearts more taken up in judging themselves and condemning themselves, they would not be so apt to judge and censure others, and to carry it sourly and bitterly toward others that differ from them. He says, there are no souls in the world that are so fearful to judge others as those that do most judge themselves. nor so careful to make a righteous judgment of men or things as those that are most careful to judge themselves. That's a question for us, isn't it? Are we examining ourselves? Are we judging ourselves? I fear that it is the natural sinful inclination to be far more busy judging everybody else than judging ourselves. And that is completely wrong way around. We become experts in confessing everyone's sins but our own. What a sad place to be in. For judging ourselves moves us to confession, which moves us to a right and healthy relationship with our God. While judging others, instead of judging ourselves, moves us away from both God and each other. Let us judge ourselves. We know that this is the command of God, it's given so often. 1 Corinthians 11, 31, we're told to judge ourselves. Jesus himself told us in Matthew chapter seven, verses one and two, judge not that ye be not judged. John 7, 24 says judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Romans 14 warns us against judging our brother over that which he eats, reminding us that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. First Corinthians chapter four verse five tells us to judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness will make manifest the counsels of the heart and every man shall have praise of God. The scripture further encourages us not to speak evil of one another. James 4, verses 11 and 12. Romans 14, four says, who art thou that judges another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holding up for God is able to make him stand. So, judge ourselves. To be much more in judging yourself. When we judge ourselves, we are far less likely to be filled with a judgmental spirit toward others. And then the 12th remedy, and this is such an important one, that is labor to be clothed with humility. Or we might say, work on being humble. Work on being humble. Proverbs, Chapter 13 in verse 10 tells us, by pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom. Or in the words of the old King James, only by pride cometh contention. So often it is pride that moves us to division. And how is that? Because in matters that are non-essential, we think of our way as better than everyone else's. And maybe there are points at which it is. But we elevate that to such a high and exalted degree that it gets in the way of that which is even more important, and that is the unity of the body. There are things that are much more trivial that you might be right about, yet to make that such a massive issue because of your ego is a far greater sin than to simply let it go. and have something that is not of consequence happen in your presence or around you. I wanna read extensively some of the thoughts that Brooks gives here. He says, humility makes a man peaceable among brethren, fruitful in well-doing, cheerful in suffering, and constant or continual in holy walking. He says, humility fits for the highest services we owe to Christ, yet will not neglect the lowest service to the meanest or the most humble saint. The lowest saint. Humility can feed upon the meanest or the lowest dish, yet it is maintained by the choicest delicacies of God, Christ, and glory. Humility will make a man bless him that curses him and pray for those who persecute him. A humble heart is a habitation for God, a scholar for Christ, a companion of angels, a preserver of grace and a fitter for glory. Humility is the nurse of our graces, the preserver of our mercies, the great promoter of holy duties. Humility cannot find three things on this side of heaven. It cannot find fullness in the creature. nor sweetness in sin, nor life in an ordinance without Christ. A humble soul always finds three things on this side of heaven, always finds three things on this side of heaven. The soul to be empty, Christ to be full, and every mercy and duty to be sweet wherein God is enjoyed. Humility can weep over other men's weaknesses and joy and rejoice over their graces. Humility will make a man quiet and contented in the meanest or the lowest condition and will preserve a man from envying other men's prosperous condition. Humility honors those that are strong in grace and puts two hands under those that are weak in grace. Humility makes a man richer than other men and it makes a man judge himself the poorest among men. Humility will see much good abroad when it can see but little at home. In other words, it is more quick to see good in others than in itself. Ah, Christian, though faith be the champion of grace and love the nurse of grace, yet humility is a beautifier of grace. It casts a general glory upon all the graces of the soul. Ah, did Christians more abound in humility, they would be less bitter. Froward, and again, that's that word, cantankerous, quick to fight. and sour, they would be more gentle, meek, and sweet in their spirits and practices. Humility will make a man have high thoughts of others and low thoughts of a man's self. It will make a man see much glory and excellency in others and much baseness and sinfulness in a man's self. It will make a man see others rich and himself poor, others strong and himself weak, others wise and himself foolish. Labor to be clothed with humility. That's not just Brooks that tells us to do that, it's God's own word that tells us to do that. Labor to be clothed in humility. I wonder if we were to examine ourselves if we are people who are humble. It's easy to fool yourself into thinking that you're humble. I remember having a conversation with someone who's a very good friend of mine. And because he's a good friend, I felt that I could speak very freely with him. And he was going through a difficult time. This is someone who would volunteer a great deal of his time. No one here, in case you're starting to wonder about that, this is not someone connected with Ennerdale in any sense. This is someone that would volunteer a lot of his time. In the past, the church that I was connected with, he had done a lot of actual work on the church as far as building and finishing things. And he was very quick to volunteer for different things. But there was kind of another side of him where he was very, very opinionated. And the opinionated part wasn't always expressed with humility, wasn't always expressed with grace. And unfortunately, it led to the breaking of several relationships. All of that to say, one time he asked me, you know, where would you think that I would be on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of pride and humility? And I told him, brother, I think you're probably about 7 or 8 toward the pride side. And he was quite shocked about that. Because he said, look, I've done all of this work for the church without pay. I've done this and that and the other thing. And I said, brother, all of those things are good. But there is this side where you have opinions which aren't always wrong, but the way that you express them and the way that you look at others that don't hold your opinions is such that it has a way of rupturing relationships. It has a way of breaking down what could have been good friendships. And I would say that I think that in this person I saw a lot of change in very good ways. This is someone that I have learned, and I've expressed this, I've learned this from him now. He says sometimes there are things that aren't right or wrong, they're just different. I say that to remind us that humility is sometimes a little bit more elusive than we think. And we're often a little bit more tinged with pride than we think we are, but God and his grace can change us. I can tell a story on myself. I remember that, I won't go into all the details of this, but I remember a particular time in my life, and I think I continually struggle with this, but a particular time in my life where I was thinking, man, I really have it together when it comes to being discerning. I can tell when people are being truthful and tell when people are being foolish. I, you know, I have all that together. I'm glad that I can see that in other people. You know what the Lord did? He brought me into this situation where I was so completely fooled and looked so foolish. I was like, it was embarrassing, but it was good for me because the Lord sort of popped that bubble and said, no, no, here's a more accurate view of who you are. We all at times need to have that, don't we? We all at times have a tendency to think of ourselves as more highly than we ought, and God has a way of humbling us if we don't humble ourselves. Did not Peter tell us, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time? So let's strive to be humble Let's labor to be clothed with humility. Let's remind ourselves that we are sinners in need of grace, and that God is a God who delights to stamp the image of his Son upon repentant sinners. And so, here are some ways that we can fight against Satan's divisive attempts. I pray that God will use these thoughts in each of our lives individually, but also in our life as a church corporately, that we would walk in unity, that we would know not simply by revelation, but by experience how good and how pleasant it is for brethren and sisters to dwell together in unity. Amen. Well, we will transition now to the Lord's table.