THE GREAT DOWN FALL.
“How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!” Isaiah 14:12
Once upon a time, Lucifer (morning star) was a good name. In fact, of all the angels God created, Lucifer was their guardian. But Ezekiel 28:17 says, Lucifer’s heart became proud on account of his beauty and was thrown out of heaven. You might say he wore out his welcome. There were also five “I wills” that cost Lucifer his lofty position - these same attitudes can cost all of mankind.
If the “guardian” of angels could fall, we too must guard against the same pride that can be our undoing, such as:
SELF RELIANCE OR…
“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven…” Isaiah 14:13a
One of Satan’s greatest lies is to fool people into believing they can enter heaven or earn it by themselves, if such a place even exists. If I can find “utopia” myself, then I don’t need some silly notion of a “supreme being” I must answer to. Diana Ross and I are supreme enough. This line of thinking is very tempting. Think about it, we don’t have to answer to anyone, so we get to determine what is right and what is wrong, and what is good or not. It is an enticing bite of power and authority, held out to us like a shiny red apple - but with a bitter aftertaste.
…A GOD ALLIANCE.
“Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
If we fall for the lie that we don’t need God for Heaven (we will ascend on our own), then we won’t need Him for this life either. So, the four-fold power of salvation, which is for now and then is left without effect. That power from God is meant to: protect; deliver; heal and save. There is no other name (including yours) that can do this for you. This is why we come into alliance with him. The spirit of anti-Christ is everywhere, teaching us to rely on ourselves. This way we reject God for everything. I John 2:2 identifies a liar as “The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ”, and I John 4:3 says, “Every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God”. So, the decision to be in an alliance with Jesus is most important. But the idea of self reliance is a doomed dependency.
From Sermon Notes: May 28, 2022
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