Series: The Ins And Outs Of The Ups And Downs Of Life
Part 1 - Tenacious Traps Of The High Life
Have you ever noticed how many seem to struggle with life. For many it does not matter whether things are going well or poorly. For them the devil helps to make sure they fall short of where they should be in life. Today I want to start a series and begin by examining the Tenacious Traps Of The High Life.
1 Cor. 10:12 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Pestilent problems of pride
Stubbornness of Pharaoh
Exodus 5:2And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
Scheming of Haman
Esther 3:55And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
Self-exaltion of Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel 4:23-33 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
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This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:25
That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.26
And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.27
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.28
All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.29
At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.30
The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?31
While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.32
And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.33
The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
Poisonous prosperity of possessions
1 Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Matthew 6:19 19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Strategy of the rich fool
Luke 12:16-21 16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
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And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?18
And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.19
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.20
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?21
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.Shortsightedness of the rich man
Luke 16:19-31
19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:20
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,21
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.22
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;23
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.24
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.25
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.26
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.27
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:28
For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.29
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.30
And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.31
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.Sorrow of the rich young ruler
Luke 18:18-2718And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
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And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.20
Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.21
And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.22
Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.23
And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.24
And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!25
For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.26
And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?27
And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.Pollution of perverse priorities
[we allow them to melt away our ideals in life]
James 4:13-17
13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:14
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.15
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.16
But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.1 Timothy 4:8 8For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Self-righteous of the Pharisee - priority was too external
Luke 18:9-14
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:10
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.12
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.13
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.14
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Sensualness of Solomon - priorty was pleasure
1 Kings 11:3-4
3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.4
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father
Showmanship of Belshazzar - priority was appearace or face
Daniel 5:1-7
1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.2
Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.3
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.4
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.5
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.6
Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.7
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.So how do we keep form falling prey to these traps?
Look to Jesus - Heb.12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…
Call to Jesus - Romans 10:9-10 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
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For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.Believe on Jesus
Follow after the Lord and His ways - 1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 032104am