The Clash of the Kingdom: Overcoming the Devil’s Lies
Rich Nathan
Eph 6:10-18
The Story of the Kingdom
October 4-5, 2014
Sermon Summary (Time Suggestion: 5 mins)
These notes are to help you give your group a quick recap of the weekend sermon in your own words. If God spoke to you personally through the message, do share that too.
There are basic things people believe to be true, that are actually false. Things like: cracking knuckles causes arthritis or you lose most of your body heat from your head so you should wear a hat in the wintertime. There are no real consequences to these beliefs, but lies The Enemy feeds us can really take us out. A main weapon that Satan uses to oppose God’s reign and rule over our lives, or over our culture, is lies.
The Bible regularly asserts that there is a supernatural evil force in the world even though the existence of a supernatural evil or personified evil is view as absurd by most people today. There is a war going on, a war between good and evil, between the kingdom of God and the kingdom ruled by Satan. So how do we fight this war successfully? Many Christians believe that once they become a Christian, if they do the right things, their life will be easy. We are so shocked when things don’t go well. But Paul warns about a war in his letter to the Ephesians 6:10-18.
So how do we succeed in this war? First Paul tells us to “stand.” He repeats this word several times in this section so we know that it is important. Spiritual warfare is, in other words, largely a matter of resistance, of holding your ground, of being willing to push back when you are pushed. The world is full of people who retreat in the face of opposition, but Paul tells us to fight.
One of the tactics that cause retreat is the Enemy exaggerates failures. We hear the voice, “Give up! You are all alone in your convictions.” This is seen in marriage when it gets hard, we are quick to jump ship. Or when we feel pressures regarding our sex lives and we feel like everyone is living under a different code than we are. The enemy’s tactic is to exaggerate failure and in getting people to give ground and to not stand.
The enemy uses a third tactic. He gets us to compromise. You don’t need to completely lie, just shade the truth. Hide embarrassing facts. Don’t cheat a lot, cheat a little. You don’t have to cut all the corners, just cut some of them. But there must be some points of resistance in our life where we push back. There must be some things that for us are simply unthinkable.
As we put on the full armor of God, we will be able to stand when it feels like we want to retreat, we are tempted to compromise or we feel we are all alone.
I. We are communicated to about a war
II. We are commanded to stand
A. The enemy’s tactic: retreat
B. The enemy’s tactic: exaggerate failures
C. The enemy’s tactic: compromise
III. We are commanded to: put on the full armor of God
Link to the Sermon (Time Suggestion: 5 minutes)
· Rich used several examples of situations where Christians could be tempted to compromise or feel isolated and alone in our choice (i.e. staying married, not having sex before marriage, not cheating on your taxes or even keeping regular times set aside for God). How do you relate to these areas he mentioned? Do you feel a similar challenge to stand? What keeps you from compromise?
· What did you think of this quote by C.S. Lewis from The Screwtape Letters?
o “Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts…your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.”
This Week’s Bible Study
Text: 1 Kings 19:1-18
Background and Context
Israel is now a divided kingdom. After the reign of Solomon, several unfaithful kings have come into power and the Israelites plunged further into unfaithfulness to their One True God, Yahweh. Previous to this passage, Elijah has just had a confrontation with the King of the northern Kingdom of Israel, Ahab. Ahab had allowed the worship of the false God Baal. Elijah came to confront the people about their unfaithfulness. The prophets of Baal call on the god to bring down fire to burn up a sacrifice. There is no response despite a rather dramatic performance. In contrast, Yahweh God answers Elijah’s prayer and burns up the sacrifice at the first ask even after it has been drenched with water three times. After that, Elijah has the prophets of Baal executed. After this, Ahab’s wife Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah and in fear, Elijah runs for his life.
Study & Discuss
Read 1 Kings 19:1-18
19Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Read the events in Chapter 18 in preparation for this study. It will be good to give people an idea of what has happened right before this passage.
1. What is the reaction of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel to Elijah’s actions? What are Elijah’s reactions to this threat?
Instead of winning the war, Elijah prompts further aggression from the rulers. Jezebel says she will hunt Elijah down and take his life. Elijah runs south in fear and reacts with great despair. He seems defeated and asks God to end his life.
2. What do you think has caused this great depression and defeat in Elijah?
Elijah had just won a major battle. He must have felt that it would have in effect won the war, but instead he found himself under a renewed vengeful attack. He was tired of these trials and ready to give up even though he had seen God move in powerful ways.
3. Have you experienced similar discouragement after a seeming victory in your life? What prompted your response? What did it feel like to be in that place?
This is an application question. If people are hesitant to share, that’s ok. Give it a few minutes of silence to allow people to volunteer to share if they desire.
4. How did the angel care for Elijah while he was in this state? How many times did he do this? What did Elijah do after this care?
He provided food and drink twice for Elijah (v.5-8) and after that, Elijah traveled 40 days further south to Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai), the mountain of God (v. 8-9)
5. What question did God ask Elijah once he arrived at the mountain? How many times does he ask it? What happens in between the asking? What answer does Elijah give?
He asked Elijah why he was there (v.9 & 13). In between asking the question twice, God exposes Elijah to His presence. (v.11). Elijah’s answer is that the Israelites have rejected their covenant with God and he alone is the only one left who is faithful (v. 10 &14).
6. How does God’s presence appear to Elijah? What do you make of the way God appears to him?
It is interesting to note that many of the other foreign Gods appeared exactly in the ways listed in V.11-12 (Baal himself is depicted as holding thunderbolts) The Hebrew phrase for “gentle whisper” is more close to “a brief sound of silence.” It is almost as if God is showing Elijah again that he is so completely unlike those other Gods. Before Elijah can hear God clearly, it must start with silence.
7. What answer does God give to Elijah? What do you make of this answer?
He pushes back against the idea that Elijah is the only one left who is faithful. He lists three others who will continue to carry out the work Elijah has done (v.15-160. He also affirms that there are seven thousand who have not bowed to the false God Baal (v. 18). It is a message of hope and provision. God is pushing back on Elijah’s hopelessness and despair and showing that he is bigger than the current circumstances. He calms the chaos in Elijah by taking him through the extreme experiences of a powerful wind, an earthquake and fire. After this violent activity, a stillness comes in contrast and out of that he speaks. God is not only showing how different a God he is, he is showing Elijah the way to hear Him.
8. In what ways does this story of how God speaks to Elijah resonate with you? Is there something you need to hear from God? How do you feel you best hear His voice?
It would be good to use this question as a springboard to ministry time.
Ministry Time
Allow time at the end to welcome the Holy Spirit and wait on Him for direction. We really want people to experience the presence of God personally and small group is the perfect context for this to happen. Model risk-taking and a willingness to be dependent on God. Remember that God often comes in power when we are weak!
· Pray for people who are resonating with a need to hear from God especially in the face of depression, hopelessness and despair. You can break down into smaller groups for more intimate sharing, or surround someone in your group that has a particular great need. Try to spend a longer time in silence before you pray any words. Ask silently for God to speak to the person you are praying for.
· Pray for people feeling in a place of temptation who are being shaken in their ability to “stand” as outlined in the sermon on Sunday. Take time to confess areas of temptation. Remember 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. People may be hesitant to be real, and depending on the life stage of the group, this may not be an easy activity. But reassure the group that Small Groups are a safe place for us to take off any religious mask or need to be perfect. Encourage them that there is such freedom in being honest with our struggles. You can break into smaller same gender groups to give more safety for sharing.