THE DEVIL’S SUBSTITUTE
1 Ki 14:25-28 And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king's house. And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.
Introduction:
A) Satan is attacking 2 important areas today
1) The first is The Home…
2) The second is The Church…
B) Satan prepared a substitute for everything
1) He tries to make everything Pure to be Impure.
2) Tries to make everything Good to be immoral.
C) In text we see Satan “Shishak” attacking
1) He is attacking the foundation of the home.
2) He is attacking the foundation of the Church.
D) Look at some of the ways He is attacking.
I) THE ATTACK ON THE LORD’S HOUSE
A) THE ATTACK ON THE TREASURE.
1) Taxation - Many states trying to tax the Church
(a) Political leaders want it so bad they can taste it
(b) Make me thankful for Mt 16:18 And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(c) The Church will stand until Jesus Comes.
2) Outright Lies - Some lie about the church.
B) THE ATTACK ON THE TEACHING MINISTRY.
1) Many churches discuss everything but the Word.
2) Many church done away with carrying the Bible
(a) They carry the S/S Quarterlies
(b) They carry their on Song Books
(c) Many have accepted a substitute religion.
C) THE ATTACK ON EVANGELISM.
1) Less than 10% of Churches have Evangelism
2) Satan has put in place much physical attention
(a) Scared people with threat of heart attack.
(b) Get of that fat - lose weight - exercise.
3) If you would visit people and invite them to Church you would get some Spiritual exercise 1 Tim 4:8 Bodily exercise profiteth little
D) THE ATTACK ON THE SPIRITUAL PULSE.
1) No more Getting excite about seeing souls saved.
2) Many churches are a Morgue rather than what they ought to be – A Maternity Ward.
(a) Church is not a place for the dead.
(b) It is a place for the Re-Born.
E) THE ATTACK ON THE MUSIC OF THE CHURCH
1) 90% Of the so called “Gospel Music” has no place in the N.T. Church.
2) Music must hold forth the fundamentals of Faith 1 Thess 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
II) THE ATTACK ON THE HOUSE OF THE KING
A) THIS WAS REHOBOAM’S HOUSE - WHERE HE LIVED WHERE HE RAISED HIS FAMILY. Vs 25 In the fifth year of king Rehoboam 1. In just 5 years the entire kingdom was a shamble 2. His family was morally and spiritually wounded 3. Some of them will die as a result of this.
B) THE ATTACK ON THE KING’S HOUSE.
1) The Home and the Family and fall together.
2) The Home is under the full attack of Satan today.
3) If Satan destroys home he can destroy America
III) THE ATTACK ON THE GOLDEN SHIELDS
1) Look closely - Rehoboam never resisted.
2) No Fight - No Conflict - No Battle
3) He just let them walk off with everything.
4) Rehoboam made brass substitutes.
B) THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FAITH.
1) The Church is built on Christ “Upon This Rock”
(a) a. The Deity of Christ
(b) The Inspiration of the Bible.
(c) The Death on the Cross.
(d) The Resurrection
(e) The Reality of Heaven - Hell.
2) The Home was founded by God.
(a) It was Adam and Eve - Not Adam and Steve.
(b) The Husband is the head of the home.
C) THE SADDEST PART OF THE WHOLE MESSAGE. Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields
1) This is a Clear Picture of America’s problem.
2) Sishak, a spiritual enemy had come & carried away the Church – Home - Fundamentals
3) Rehoboam never even resisted - Didn’t even put up a fight of any kind.
4) He is out in his Spiritual workshop making a Brazen Image - a Substitute
D) THIS IS HAPPENING IN AMERICA IN CHURCHES
1) Across our country Brazen Churches being built
(a) With an emphasis on Popularity.
(b) With an emphasis on Buildings..
(c) With an emphasis on Music.
2) The is NO emphasis on Soul Winning.
(a) No emphasis on Sacrifice.
(b) No emphasis on Separation.
E) IN THE HOME EMPHASIS IS PLACE ON…
1) Materialism - Big Houses - Long Vacations…
2) No time for the traditional home today.
F) SIN CHANGES THE APPEARANCE OF RIGHT.
1) Makes right become Secondary.
2) Doing right just becomes another choice.
G) TO THE WORLD SIN HAS BECOME FASHIONABLE
1) Drunkenness is just Social Drinking.
2) Adultery become Living Together.
3) Sodomy becomes Gay Rights.
4) A Thief becomes Creative Bookkeeping.
5) Cannot change the fashion of sin by making it Fashionable.
H) SOME HAVE MADE BRAZEN SHIELDS OF HOME/
1) Why not get it straightened out.
2) Ps 119:126 It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law.