Don’t Make Deals with the Devil | Lessons From Gridlock

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In our lifetime, let's do this together. Just go to Harvest.org You need to reach out and take that wisdom because it's there for you. Ever been caught in gridlock? Maybe you're trying to get out of the parking lot of a large sporting event. You're stuck. You can't go forward. You can't back up. You can't go to the left, to the right.

Only thing you can do is look up. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie takes us to a time of challenge in the history of the Israelites. They needed help. They were stuck. They looked up and God came through.

We'll see what lessons we can learn for our own spiritual gridlock. I read a story about a man that adopted a hippo, a hippopotamus, as a pet. He lived in South Africa and apparently he found it when it was still a calf.

He raised it. He said he would ride it around like a horse and even brush its teeth. He was quoted to say, he's like a son to me. He also said in an interview, and I quote, people think you can only have relationships with dogs and cats and domestic animals. I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa. End quote.

Famous last words. Have you heard of the little game Hungry Hippos? Unfortunately this didn't turn out so well for this man because Humphrey the hippo grew from a calf to a menacing creature that ultimately killed him. So that's a very sad outcome. Take away truth.

Don't make hippos into pets. Right? But we can also do the same with sin. You know maybe we have what we might describe as a little sin. It's not a problem. We have control of it but then it grows larger and larger and then your sin starts taking you over.

And that's what I want to talk about today. You know the Bible doesn't compare the devil to a hippo. Though hippos do kill more people in Africa than lions, leopards, elephants, and water buffalos combined. But still the Bible compares the devil to a lion. 1 Peter 5 says, stay alert.

Watch out. Your great enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Now the devil can take many forms. He can come to us as the devil of hell or a fiery dragon. But he can also masquerade as an angel of light. If you don't answer his call at the front door he will knock at the back door. And he might tunnel up to the floor. He is always looking for a way to get into our lives. Sometimes he will slither in like a snake. And that is the case here in Joshua chapter 9.

I guess the devil operates by the old adage which says if you can't beat him join him. So we see now the story of the Gibeonites. So the Gibeonites from the city of Gibeon was about 25 miles from the camp of Israel. These inhabitants knew they could not defeat Israel so they came up with a strategy. Let's get them to sign a deal with us. We will pretend like we are coming from a long ways away. We are not even in this land that they are told by God to conquer.

And we can deceive them and they will give us immunity. So that is how the story begins in Joshua chapter 9 starting in verse 3. But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua loading their donkeys with weathered saddle bags, old patched wine skins. They put on worn out patched sandals and ragged clothes and the bread they took with them was moldy and dry. And when they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal they told Joshua and the men of Israel we have come from a distant land and we ask you to make a peace treaty with us. We will stop there.

Here is point number one if you are taking notes. The spiritual battle never stops. Oh I wish it would. I wish the devil would just take a day off. Better yet a month off.

A year off. But he is always out there trying to destroy lives. The Bible describes him as always active, always working, seeking to undermine the work of God.

Number two. Don't make deals with the devil. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4 27 don't give place to the devil. Another translation of that is don't give the devil a foothold. Listen the devil is wicked but the devil is also cunning.

He has been honing his craft for a long time. He comes and says why don't you try this thought on for size. Why don't you take this little sample or a test drive and play this out and see how it goes for you. See here is the thing. You can get into a relationship with a non-believer and it can hurt you spiritually. Now look we need to have relationships with all kinds of people including non-believers. How else will we evangelize them? But we have to be very careful especially if it is a romantic entanglement. And here is why it is a problem. It is far easier for a non-believer to pull you down than it is for you to pull them up.

Because gravity is on their side. And in the same way you have an old nature but the non-believer does not have a new nature so I can find myself going in the wrong direction. That is why the Bible says don't be unequally yoked together with non-believers. For what fellowship does light have with darkness? Or as another translation puts it, don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong?

That is not partnership. That is war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands?

Exactly. So we have to be careful of these entanglements. So Israel was now entangling themselves with these non-believers. These Gibeonites that were going to pull them in the wrong direction.

But point number three. God can intervene even if we have made a bad decision. We do make bad decisions. We do things we regret. Let's say that you weren't just romantically entangled with a non-believer.

Let's say you married them and now you have been married for a little bit of time and you are saying, oh that was a big mistake. Here is what God said. You may not like what he said. But he says in 1 Corinthians 7-12, if a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. If a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer, yet he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. So now you have a new mission. No you shouldn't have married the non-believer but you did.

So you built an alliance just like Israel did with the Gibeonites. And you made this commitment. Now you have to honor that commitment and make the best of it.

And your new mission is win your spouse to the Lord. That is not going to happen overnight. That may take months. That may take years.

It could even take decades. But you have to keep being a witness to them and praying for them. Point number four. This is my last point. We need to pray about things before we decide.

We need to pray about things before we decide. Joshua 9-14 says the Israelites examined their food. That would be the food of the Gibeonites. They brought this moldy bread. Oh this was fresh out of the oven when we left home and now it is all moldy. Oh wow. Ok.

It looks good to me. So they looked at their food but look at this. They did not consult the Lord. In other words they didn't pray about it. With Jericho God gave to Israel a battle plan.

And with Ai the same was true. But there was no battle plan with the Gibeonites. In other words they didn't pray. Hey Lord is this a trap? Is this a good thing?

Should we enter into this agreement with these people? They didn't pray about it. You need to pray about everything. The Bible says in the book of Philippians, In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. It doesn't say in only giant big things.

In everything. Nothing is too small to pray about. Nothing is too big to pray about.

Lord help me with this. I need wisdom. We are told in the book of James if any man lacks wisdom let him ask of God who will give it generously and not hold it back. See God wants to give his wisdom generously to you. You need to reach out and take that wisdom because it is there for you. And in the case of Joshua he could have gone to the high priest and asked for direction. Hey should we make a deal with these guys? I am not sure if this is a good thing.

No he didn't do any of that. So that is why it is always good to seek counsel. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Hearing from listeners whose families have been touched by Pastor Greg's teachings is very encouraging.

When I was a child in the 1980's I went to Harvest Christian Fellowship. I loved listening to Pastor Greg but back then I just didn't get it. I ended up backsliding in my walk with Christ and it wasn't until later that I found Greg's messages and began listening again. His preaching of God's word brought me back to Christ and I am growing in my walk through many of the tools that are available through Harvest Ministries. Thank you Pastor Greg and God bless you. Pastor Greg is talking about the value of seeking the wisdom of others who know the Lord. We are in Joshua chapter 9 with today's message, Don't Make Deals with the Devil. Seek counsel from Godly people.

Specifically seek counsel from people that have been around the block a few times. You know when I was a brand new Christian I befriended a bunch of adults who were old enough to be my parents. I would like to go hang around Chuck Smith. I would hang around others that really helped me. A pastor named Romain at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. Another man named Keith Ritter that became very helpful and influential to me. And then later I met Alan Redpath who was a great British preacher and I became friends with Billy Graham and others. I would spend time with them.

I would ask them questions. I think when we are young we want to hang around all the young kids and that is fine. But I always felt like I could learn so much more from older Godly people. And there is wisdom there.

You can ask them questions. It is like you are not the first generation experiencing what you are experiencing. I know it has a different name or a different look and I know there are many challenges young people are facing today that are unique to their time. But at the same time there is a lot of collective wisdom that is there for you if you will seek it out from others. Proverbs 15 22 says plans go wrong for lack of advice.

Many advisers bring success. To this day I still seek out biblical counsel from a lot of people that I look up to. I have something I need to decide about and I will say what do you think about this? What is your opinion on that?

I found that really helps me make my decision. Another thing that helps me decide if something is the will of God or not is do I have the peace of God about it? Colossians 3 5 says let the peace of God rule in your life.

Or as another translation puts it let God's peace act as an umpire in your life settling with finality all matters that arise. Umpires are not very popular now are they? Because they have got to make that call. He is safe. He is out. Touchdown.

No there was a penalty. People turn on the umpires. Let the peace of God act as an umpire in your life. You say I don't know what you are talking about.

There might be something that looks good on the outside. You say I think this is God's will for me. Circumstantially everything has fallen into place. This is a good investment. This is a good relationship.

This is a good business opportunity. This is an open door for ministry. Pray about it. Because inside you might have sort of a lack of peace.

There is something about it that isn't sitting right. That is why I like to have time to think about things before I say yes. Let me just think about that for a while. Let me pray about that for a while. Because I want the peace of God. The Bible says you go out with joy and you will be led forth with peace in Isaiah 55.

I try not to make rash decisions. So in closing the Gibeonites. They didn't have to do this. It could have just come. Hey we are the Gibeonites.

Our city 25 miles away. We know that you are blessed by God. We have heard the miracle story.

So how about this. We want to repent of our sins. We want to turn from our wickedness. We want to stop sacrificing our babies on the altars of pagan gods. And we want to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

We want to become believers. They could have been. They could have been. Did God not spare Rahab the harlot? Did he not give her a second chance when she took the spies in and hid them in her home? And then when Israel came into the land. Hey they didn't kill her. They said you are part of us now. But no these Gibeonites didn't want to believe. They wanted to live in their sin.

And they tricked Israel. But here is the thing. We serve a God of second chances. I can't change my past nor can you.

Any more than I can unscramble an egg. All I can do with my past is learn from it. And if I have sinned admit I have sinned. Repent of my sin.

Accept the forgiveness of God and move forward. The title of this message is don't make deals with the devil. I think some people think they have made a deal with the devil that is unbreakable. I have heard people say they made a deal with the devil. They sold their soul to Satan. How would you know?

News flash. You can't sell your soul to Satan. And I will tell you why. Your soul is not yours to sell. God says all souls are mine.

The soul of the Father and the Son. So I can't sell my soul to the devil. Or broker some deal with Lucifer. Or if he gives me this then he controls me for the rest of my life.

Nonsense. All deals are off ever since Jesus Christ died on the cross and broke the power of Satan. Because in the book of Colossians it says Christ disarmed powers and authorities.

Speaking of satanic powers. And made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross. So when Jesus said one word from Calvary. Tetelestai. Which is translated it is what? Finished.

You are right. It's finished. What's finished? The power of Satan in your life. The stranglehold of the devil. Any addiction that has a grip on you right now. Any lifestyle you can't break free from.

It is finished. Christ broke that power. Now do you want that power broken? See the problem is sometimes we still want to live in that old life. We don't want to be free. But if you want to be free. If you want to be forgiven. If you want a second chance.

It is there for you. All you need to say to Satan is all deals are off. We are done here. You get nothing. Not a hoof will be left behind.

You can't have any area of my life at all. The Bible says submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. See the problem is we don't resist the devil.

We have conversations with the devil. You say what do you mean? Well we check out what he is offering. Hey I would never do it but just for my knowledge.

What is it you are offering? No don't let him do that. Remember when God said to Adam and Eve they could eat of any tree in the garden. But stay away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Pretty clear. Enjoy yourselves.

Enjoy my creation. Just stay away from that tree. Scene two. Adam and Eve at the tree.

They shouldn't be by. And there is the devil. Coming as a serpent offering his wares. You know the rest of the story.

They gave in to it and sin spread throughout the human race. Here is the thing. When you are a Christian you don't have to be afraid of the devil anymore. But if you are not a Christian you should be really scared of the devil. Because he is real. He is powerful. Far more powerful than you or me. I am no match for him.

There is nothing I can do that can keep him away from me. The only force or power out there greater than that of Satan is the power of God himself. Now when Christ comes to live in your life you no longer have to be afraid of the devil. When the devil comes knocking at your front door you just say Jesus would you mind getting that? And when the devil says oh okay never mind.

He will move on. And here is my question. Is Christ living in your life? Maybe I am talking to somebody today that needs a second chance. Somebody today that is trapped by sin or some kind of an addiction. But you must admit your sin and turn from it and ask Christ to come into your life. Jesus died on that cross for you. And he is standing at the door of your life right now and he is knocking. And he is saying if you will hear his voice and open the door he will come in. So in closing have you asked Christ to come into your life yet?

If not would you like to? We can do it right here right now. Let's all bow our heads. Father speak to every person here. Especially those that don't know you. Help them to see their need for Jesus. Help them Lord to come to you and believe.

And find that second chance. Find that forgiveness that you offer to them. Because of the death of Jesus on the cross.

Now while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we are praying. Would you like your sin forgiven? Would you like to know that when you die you will go to heaven?

Would you like a second chance in life? Just pray this prayer right where you are after me. Pray these words. Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner. But I know that you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin. I turn from that sin now. And I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Savior and my Lord. As my God and my friend. I pray this in Jesus name.

Amen. Pastor Greg Laurie with an important prayer with those who are making a decision for the Lord today. And if you've just taken that step. First of all know that your sins are forgiven.

The Bible tells us the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanses from all unrighteousness. And we want to welcome you into the family of God. Let us send you something to help you get started off right. It's Pastor Greg's New Believers Bible. We'll send it free of charge. It has hundreds of helps for those who have just begun their walk of faith.

It will answer some of the questions that may be on your mind right now. Just ask for the New Believers Bible when you call us at 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24-7 phone number 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514.

Or go online to harvest.org. And then let us take a moment to thank you for praying for this ministry. And for supporting it through your generous donation. It's an investment in kingdom business. Isn't that right Pastor Greg?

Yeah it's really true Dave. And I believe it's so important because you know the gospel saves lives. It saves eternal lives. Because when a person believes in Jesus according to scripture they pass from darkness to light. From the power of Satan to the power of God. And then of course that changes the course of their future.

That impacts their children and their children's children. The gospel changes everything. And thousands and thousands of people respond every single year. Thanks to the Lord. Also thanks to you for your investment in this ministry. Enabling us to reach people wherever they are.

So if this is something you care about. I encourage you to make a financial investment in A New Beginning and Harvest Ministries. Yeah that's right and we really do appreciate your support. Thanks for partnering with us today.

It can make a real difference not just for today or this week but for eternity. So get in touch with your support today by calling 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24 7 phone number 1-800-821-3300.

Or write A New Beginning Box 4000 Riverside California 92514. Or go online to Harvest.org. Hey everyone I want you to know about our app called Harvest Plus. Think of it as a Harvest version of Netflix.

We have all of our resources in one place. We have our movies like Steve McQueen The Salvation of an American Icon. Johnny Cash The Redemption of an American Icon. A Rush of Hope and much more. Then we have our television program, daily devotions and much more.

So go and download the Harvest Plus app. Well next time we move ahead to Joshua chapter 14. And look at an inspiring example of how to enjoy a wholehearted relationship with God. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Ward.