You Need God's Protection

Notes: You Need God's Protection

Valor - Men's Study

March 17, 2015

Jonathan Laurie

St. Patrick's Day today.

St. Patrick was a missionary in Ireland about 1500 years ago. He preached to pagans and turned Ireland into a thriving Christian country.

Paul and St. Patrick both preached to groups that worshipped false idols.

Idols can be anything, not just a statue of some kind. It could be a car, a game, money or even your family. Anything that replaces God is an idol.

Conversion is returning to worship and loving God as God.

God created us to love Him and worship Him.

Acts 19:11-17 NKJV

[11] Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, [12] so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. [13] Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." [14] Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. [15] And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" [16] Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. [17] This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

1. Don't go at it alone.

Demons didn't know who these people were.

These people could talk the talk but not walk the walk.

2. Make a clean break.

Acts 19:18-20 NKJV

[18] And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. [19] Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. [20] So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

If it looks like a shrine, it may be your idol.

Forsaking all other idols and returning to God is truly what it means to repent.

3. Jesus Christ can be bad for bad business.

Acts 19:21-32 NKJV

[21] When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." [22] So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time. [23] And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. [24] For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. [25] He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. [26] Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. [27] So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship." [28] Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" [29] So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions. [30] And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. [31] Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. [32] Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

Ephesus was the richest city in the empire. The goddess Diana was a big business for people selling the statues of her.

Jesus Christ can be bad for business if you are selling things that takes away from God.

Exodus 20:17 NKJV

[17] "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

Matthew 5:27-28 NKJV

[27] "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' [28] But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

God cares about what is going on in your mind.

God is more than anything money can offer.

The true God doesn't need you to protect Him. You need Him to protect you.