Alone With the Almighty, Part 7b

Why should I spend time with God? Society's standards, they have so seduced us. Self's sinfulness, it is so enraptured us that we need to be alone with God that he might point those things out to us in order that we might be likened unto him. Number three, Satan's strategy.

Satan's strategy. You like these? These are pretty good, aren't they? It took me about six minutes to figure these things out. Satan's strategy. The reason you've got to be alone with God is because Satan has got a strategy. 1. Peter 5.8. Be sober. Be controlled. Be on the alert. Be aware. Be sober. Be vigilant. Because your adversary, the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Satan is out to devour your life. He has a strategy. He's got a supreme strategy designed just for you.

And most of us don't even know. He has got a strategy so specifically designed for you. He wants to get you to doubt God. He wants you to doubt the power of God, the sovereignty of God, the love of God. the grace of God, the will of God. And maybe you're here today, and you are in the point where you are just doubting that God's in control of anything. You are doubting God's love and mercy because you are in a situation that you despise and you hate. And you're saying, God, where art thou? How come you're not here?

Why don't you care about me? And Satan's got you right where you want you, doubting God's sufficiency. He's a master of it. See, he wants to chew you up and spit you out and, just devour your life. He has a strategy. That's why you need to be alone with the Almighty, that you might know his strategy and be able to overcome it. I love what it says over in Ephesians chapter 6. Paul talks about the armor of God and standing firm. The very first thing he says is that our loins need to be girded with the truth, right?

He says, listen, unless you put on the belt of truth, all your armor is going to clatter in disarray. Everything has got to be centered around the truth of God. And all the armor is defensive except for one piece of the armor, and that is what? The sword of the spirit. It's the only offensive piece you put on. That's the sword of the spirit. That's the word of God. So you need to be armed with the armor of God. To do so, you begin by putting up. on the belt of truth, making sure you know exactly what God says in his word, because it's all about truth anyway.

Satan is all about lies. God is all about truth. Satan is getting you to believe his lie and God says, no, don't believe Satan's lie.

Believe what is really truth. And take the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. It is active. It is almighty. It is that which accomplishes God's perfect will, the sword of spirit, the Word of God, which allows you to slice through all the lies that Satan brings your way, cut them up, throw them away, and live according to the truth of God's word. You know, most of us don't understand that Satan just wants to destroy your marriage and your family. We haven't got that yet. You know, I've heard over and over again about women in our church who would love to come to the series making marriage magnificent, but their husbands will not come.

Know what I say to those women? Leave your husband at home, and you come. Leave them home because Satan has got them. Don't be a part of that. Leave them home. You come. Understand God's will for your life. But I've heard it over and over again. Women in tears, I want to come, but my husband just won't come. I want my husband to lead spiritually. He just won't do it. Satan has effectively begun to divide your home. Don't go the way of Satan. Stay strong on the truth. Do a God says, be obedient to the Word of God.

No matter what your husband does, ladies. Always be obedient to the Word of God. Always. I've quoted from J.C. Riles' book, Thoughts for Young Men, on two separate occasions of the series. I want to quote from it again, because he has some great words for young boys that are very applicable for us today. This is quite lengthy, so bear with me. As I read this, I think it's very pertinent for today. Listen to what it says. He says, for another thing, the devil uses special diligence to destroy the souls of young men, and yet they seem not to know it.

Is that not true? Sure it is. Most of us today don't even know it, let alone the young men. And then he says this, Satan knows well that you will make up the next generation, and therefore he employs every craft quickly and early to make you his own. I would not have you ignorant of his devices. You are those on whom he displays all his choices temptations. He spreads his net with the most watchful carefulness to entangle your hearts. He baits his traps with the sweetest morsels to get you into his power.

He displays his merchandise before your eyes with his utmost ingenuity in order to make you buy his sugared poisons and eat his accursed dainties. You are the grand object of his attack. May the Lord rebuke him and deliver you out of his hands. Young man be aware of being taken by his snares. He will try to throw dust in your eyes and prevent you from seeing anything in its true colors. He would willingly make you think evil good and good evil. He will paint and mask and dress up sin in order to make you fall in love with it.

He will deform and misrepresent and caricature true religion in order to make you take a dislike to it. He will exalt the pleasures of wickedness, but he will hide from you the sting. He will lift up before your eyes the cross and its painfulness, but he will keep out of sight the eternal crown. He will promise you everything as he did to Christ if you will only serve him. He will even help you to wear a form of religion if you will only neglect the power. He will tell you at the beginning of your lives, it is too soon to serve God.

He will tell you at the end, it is too late to serve him. Oh, be not deceived. How little you know of the danger you are in from this dreadful enemy. And it is this very ignorance that makes me afraid. You are like a blind man walking in the midst of holes and pitfalls. You do not see the perils which are around you on every side. Your enemy is mighty. He is called the prince of this world. He opposed our Lord Jesus Christ all through his ministry. He tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit.

And so brought sin and death into the world. He tempted even David, the man after God's own heart, and caused his latter days to be full of sorrow. He tempted even peter the chosen apostle and persuaded to him to deny his Lord. Surely his intense hatred must not be ignored. Your enemy is restless. He never sleeps. He is always going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is ever going to and fro in the earth and walking up and down in it. You may be careless about your soul. He is not.

He wants it to make it miserable like himself and will have it if he can. surely his intense hatred must not be ignored. And your enemy? Oh, he is cunning. For many thousands of years, he has been reading one book, and that book is the heart of man. He ought to know it well, and he does know it, all its weaknesses, all its deceitfulness, all its folly. And he has a store of temptations, such as are most likely to do it harm. Never will you go to the place where he will not find you, Go into towns, he will be there.

Go into the wilderness, he will be there also. Sit among drunkards and party goers, and he will be there to help you. Listen to preaching, and he will be there to distract you. Surely such intense hatred must not be ignored. Young man, this enemy is working hard for your destruction. However little you may think it. You are the prize for which he is especially contending. He foresees that you must either, be a blessing or a curse in your day, and he is trying hard to gain an early entrance into your hearts in order that you may help further his kingdom in the end.

Well, does he understand that to spoil the bud is the surest way to ruin the flower. That's pretty good. That's pretty good. That's Satan. Has he got you? Are you doubting the love of God, the sovereignty of God, the power of God, the will of God, the of God, the faithfulness of God. He wants to get you to doubt God. If he can get you to doubt God, he'll get you to believe him. He will. That's why you gird yourself with the belt of truth. You take the sword of the spirit, and you begin to do what God says.

You need to be alone with the almighty because of Satan's strategy, because of self-signfulness, and because of society standards. And fourthly, because of Scripture's sufficiency. Scripture's sufficiency, Psalm 19. We were here earlier when we talked about the centrality of Revelation, but let me read Psalm 19, verses 7 in the following for you.

It's so true because the psalmist takes a certain phrase to introduce to us the scripture and its importance. Each title for the scripture concludes with this phrase of the Lord. It's the law of the Lord, the testimony of the Lord, the precept of the Lord, the commandments of the Lord, the fear of the Lord, the judgments of the Lord. All different titles for the Word of God. It speaks of Scripture's sufficiency. It says in Psalm 197, the law of the Lord is perfect restoring the soul. It restores the soul.

It mends the soul. Like what Albert Barnes says about the word perfect. He says, the meaning of the word perfect is that scripture lacks nothing for its completeness, nothing in order that it might be what it should be. It is complete as a revelation of divine truth. It is complete as a rule of conduct. It is absolutely true. It is adapted with consummate wisdom to the needs of man. It is an erring guide of conduct. There is nothing there which would lead men into error or sin. There is nothing essential for man to know which may not be found there.

Everything essential that you need to know is in the perfect, revealed word of God. That's why he says the law of the Lord is perfect. Restoring the soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise as simple. I like that. Because if you're stupid, God makes you wise because you know his word. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. If your heart is discouraged, if your heart is downtrodden, if your heart is depressed, it is the precepts of the Lord because of their rightness that rejoice the heart.

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. God's word gives you direction. It shows you which path to take. It gives you wisdom for life. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true. They are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey in the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them thy servant is worn in keeping them. There is great reward who can discern his errors. Acquit me of hidden faults.

Also keep back thy servant from presumptuous sin. Let them not rule over me, then I shall be blameless and I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Scriptures, sufficiency. Everything you need, as Peter would say, that pertains to life and godiness is right here. Everything. There is nothing you need outside. this book. That's why you are alone with the Almighty, spending time in memorization and meditation and application knowing the word of God.

Precious Bible, what a treasure. Does the word of God afford? All I want for life of pleasure. Food and medicine, shield and sword. Let the world around me pour, having this, I ask no more. That should be our heart's cry. If you have this, you need nothing else. Why are we alone with the Almighty? Number one, because of society standards.

They have so seduced us. We didn't know what God's word says. Number two is because of self-signfulness.

Our sin is so wicked and so abominable to God. There needs to be a cleansing. It happens as we look into the Word of God and spend alone time with Him. Number three, because of Satan's strategy.

He so desperately wants to devour you, chew you up and spit you out, and destroy your testimony. Listen, if your testimony is being destroyed, it's because Satan is having a heyday with your life. He's got a strategy. You need to be alone with the Almighty to know exactly what God says about that strategy and how you live in accordance with His Word.

Scripture's sufficiency. Everything you need for life and Godliness is right here. It's sufficient for all things. That's why you are alone with God. And then fifthly, the shepherd's shelter. The shepherd's shelter, Psalm 91, verse number one.

He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the almighty. I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God and whom I trust, for it is he who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings. You may seek refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and a boy. work. You will not be afraid of the terror by night or by the era that flies by the day of the pestilence that stalks in darkness or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

You will fear nothing. Why? Because you are in the shelter of the Almighty, the shepherd's shelter. Psalm 91 is written to those who are dwellers. Who are the dwellers? Those who habitually seek time alone with God, who dwell under the shadow of the most high, under the wings. of the Almighty One to be able to escape the snare of the evil one. He says, God is the most high. He calls him Elion, Shaddai, the Almighty, Jehovah the Lord, Elohim, my God. He is the one. And because we spend time with him, under him, dwelling with him, we have protection.

You need the shepherd's shelter. You can't go out to the world without protection. You can't handle your rebellious child without God's protection. You can't handle your rebellious husband or rebellious wife without God's protective care and covering of your soul and life. You need the shelter of God. You need his protection. If not, you will live a life of fear. You show me a man who dwells under the shadow the most high. I'll show you a man who doesn't fear anybody. Any person? anything because God is in control.

God rules. He believes in God. He knows God. He's the Almighty God, the El Shaddai. The women saying it about it earlier, the Holy One of Israel, the Almighty God of the universe. He's my God. Whom do I have to fear? And so though the things around me seem to fall apart, I am under his protective care. I am under his shelter. How do I know that? because I have been alone with the Almighty God. That's why. You need the shepherd's shelter. It comes by being alone with him, dwelling with him, and living under his protective care.

Do you know of his protective care? Do you know of the Almighty One who causes you to only fear Him and not fear man? If not, you need to be alone with Him, seeking him, learning to love him even more, and to watch him work. That's the relevance of my time with him. Next, sixth, the soul's strength and satisfaction. Your soul needs strengthened. Your soul needs to be satisfied. It only comes through being alone with the Almighty. It says over in Psalm 130, verse number five, these words. I'll begin with verse number one.

Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared. I wait for the Lord. My soul does wait. And in his word, do it. I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchman for the morning. Indeed more than the watchman for the morning. O Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is loving kindness and with him is abundant redemption and he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Psalm has said, here is my determination to wait upon me, for my hope is in the word of my God. If I'm going to have any strength, if I'm going to make it through any part of my day, I need to be like a watchman who waits for the hope of God to come through the word of God. That's how I gain my strength and satisfaction. It says over in Psalm 94, verse number 19, these words, When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, thy consolations delight my soul. Isn't that good? When the anxious thoughts of mine begin to multiply, you ever had an anxious thought?

You ever begin to fear? You ever begin to be on edge? You know, what's going to happen next? Where is the money going to come from? Where's the food going to come from? What am I going to do here? What am I going to do there? You ever had an anxious thought? The Bible says, be anxious for nothing, but we kind of bypass that and are anxious about everything.

The Psalm says, when those anxious thoughts multiply within me, what is my consolation? What is my comfort? My soul delights in your word. If you are anxious, if you are fearful, you're not in the Word of God. you're not trusting God you're not leaning upon God you're leaning upon yourself your own ingenuities you're trying to handle all your situations through your own intellect and God says wait a minute trust me next time you had those anxious thoughts be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your request be made under the God and the peace of God Philippians four sets the peace of God that's beyond all human comprehension will guard your hearts and minds.

That's why you need to be alone with the Almighty. The soul needs to be strengthened. The soul needs to be satisfied. And that comes to being alone with God. And lastly, the seventh reason, seventh relevance of my time alone with the Almighty is for the Saints survival. The Saints survival. You will not survive. One minute without God. Oh, you'll exist. You'll be out there. You'll be beaten. You'll be battered. You'll be bruised and you'll be bloodied. But you won't be blessed. It's like that? That's pretty guys thought of that I was sitting there preaching to you.

You won't be blessed. Why? Because if you're going to survive in this world that's not your home, that you're only passing through, if you're going to make it today, you've got to be alone with the Almighty. Moses would tell the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 6, verse 4. These commandments, these commandments, which I have given to you this day, he says, to fear the Lord, our God, are for your good always, and for your survival. Moses says, as you entered the land of Canaan, the promised land, so let you know something.

the only way you're going to survive is if you adhere to the commands of the almighty God of the universe. The only way you're going to be successful is if you adhere to the commands of God. It says in Proverbs chapter 4 of these words, My son, give attention to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. do not let them depart from your sight keep them in the midst of your heart for they are life to those who find them and health to all their whole body they are life these words are your life these words are your health they'll keep you they'll protect you they'll watch over you they are your survival.

Folks, there is nothing more relevant than that. If those seven principles don't convince you, then God have mercy on your soul. Because you need to be alone with the almighty. Spending time with him. Growing in your walk with him. Because of society's standards. They're going to take you the wrong way. You're going to to make bad choices. You're going to make wrong decisions. What does God say? Because of self-synfulness, you have so much sin that needs to be gotten rid of. The heart's deceitful.

It's desperately wicked. You don't even know your own heart, the Bible says. Satan's strategy. He's going to devour you. He goes about like a roaring lion. You know when the lion roars? Not before he captures you. after if he roared before he got you you knew he was coming he roars as he stands over his prayer pray the king of the jungle he won satan believes he's won that's why he goes about like a roaring lion he's got you does he have you Satan's strategy scripture sufficiency see everything you know is right here it's right here in the word of god the shepherd's shelter you need to be protected you need to dwell with god in the shadow of the almighty your soul needs to be strengthened your soul needs to be satisfied it only comes to being alone with the almighty and lastly you need to survive saints only survive when they adhere to the words of all right mighty God.

That is the relevance. Next week, the consequence. What happens in my life after spending time alone with God? Let's pray.