Indulged In The Devil’s Agenda

Introduction

It’s good to see all of you today, and I am thankful for the opportunity I have to spend a few minutes with you in a study of the Word. Last week I credited David Banning with inspiring the lesson material. I actually went a little different direction in Ephesians 2 than he had gone when I heard him at the South Side Lectures, but I owed that to him. Well, I was looking over my notes this week, and there was one phrase that he used, also in Ephesians 2, that stuck out with me, and I’m going to do a whole sermon about it. And it is the phrase, indulged in the devil’s agenda. I liked it. I wrote it down, and then I was looking at these verses and thought I was going to preach on these things today.

Ephesians 2, verse 1. We talked about verses 11 and following last Lord’s Day morning. We’ll refer to those momentarily. And you were dead in your trespasses and sins. That statement is riveting and should cause us concern, if that is indeed where we reside. In which he says, You, his audience that he’s writing to, the church at Ephesus, in which you formerly walked. Notice the word formerly. Walk according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Disobedience matters to God. Among them we too all formerly, again emphasizing that word, all formerly live in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

It means to yield to the desires and whims of, especially to an excessive degree. And I almost immediately, automatically, think of our penchant for desserts. The boxes were not here today, or else I would call attention to Alyssa’s continual post, which I’m calling attention to, as she talks about treating herself. She’ll do something and then she’ll deserve her treat. And it’s sugar of all kinds that she posts about. And who doesn’t like the milkshake or the banana split or the Oreo cookies? Bluebell ice cream. It’s going to be the death of us all. Sugar is killing us people. But every now and then we have to have our desserts. And we talk about being indulged in them. It speaks of engaging or taking part in something freely, sometimes avidly.

We might say someone’s indulged in outrageous behavior. That’s really what’s being described here. Or indulged in the latest fads. But in the context, Paul speaks of what they were formerly. But they were cleansed by the blood of Christ. Let’s go on to read a few more verses here in verse 4. But God, I have those two words underlined in verse 4. We owe it all to him. But God being rich in mercy. Because of his great love with which he loved us. Even when we were, and again, that’s past physics, we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. That’s parenthetical, but that’s still a wow. By grace you have been saved and raised us up with him.

He’s not only released us from the control and domination and guilt of sin, we not only come out of that, we have been raised up with Christ and seated with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. And we talked about that last week.

1. Those Outside of Christ Are Indulged in the Devil's Agenda

In verses 13 and following, but now you’ve been brought near. You are in Christ Jesus by the blood of Jesus Christ. But where were we before that? Paul says we were indulged in the devil’s agenda. And that’s where those outside of Christ are.

Very few who are so located have any real clue of that, or at the least are unwilling to acknowledge how deeply they reside in the clutches of the evil one. But Paul makes it very clear in these first three verses how awful their condition is.

They’ve gone beyond the bounds, as we talked in our Bible class. They’ve gone beyond the bounds of what is written, God’s standard by which He will judge us, and such notable things as they inebriate themselves. And follow the whims of their passions. As Peter talks about in 1 Peter chapter 4, I see it coinciding with these verses in Ephesians 2. As Christ is our example of sinlessness, he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. We are to arm ourselves with the same purpose so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already passed is sufficient. You’ve spent enough time back there, as would be true of what he said at Ephesians 2.

Dead in your trespasses and sin, you walked according to the lusts of the flesh, by nature, children of wrath, you’ve spent enough time there. The time already passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles or the heathens, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. They lack restraint in what they say in their speech and utter the profane. James makes an interesting point in James 1 and verse 26. That if we do not bridle our tongues, if we do not exercise some self-control in our speech, if we just pour out whatever comes to mind, he says, this man’s religion is vain or worthless. And so, what do you see in the people that you associate with on a regular basis, young people, who are not in Christ?

What are the kinds of things that they do? Those are the notable things that you see and observe. They say evil things, their mouth pours out evil things, and they follow their wills. Indulge themselves in their passions. And I’ll tell you one thing we learn from this text is that they lack perception. They don’t see things properly. They have no clue as to their real condition. The condition that’s described in Ephesians chapter 2, 1 through 3, and how awful it is. So many have no clue how deeply they reside in the devil’s clutches and how lost they really are. I like what one author said about our study in 1 Corinthians that we quoted, I think it was Wednesday night. The human capacity for self-deception is limitless.

2. Not Based on How I Feel, But What God Reckons

And I think he’s right about that. And so what I want to tell you about the practice of these things and what is described as indulging in the devil’s agenda is this. One’s real condition before God is not based on how I feel, but on what God reckons. You know, some people in this course that I described, they feel wonderful. They feel great. They like their lives. They think they’re living it up and having a great time. And to some degree, they’re enjoying the passing pleasures of sin. But look, you may not feel like it’s all that bad, but one’s real condition is not based on how you feel. How do you feel about your relationship with God? That’s what our culture is all about. I feel great.

I love Christ, he loves me. And they go do whatever they want. Sherry talks to me all the time about the people she works with that claim to be Christian, and yet they don’t bridle their tongues. They engage in drinking on a continual basis. It’s, I love Christ, he loves me, and I do whatever I want. Wait a minute. Sons of disobedience. And we read that in Ephesians 2, 1 through 3. Dead in our trespasses and sins. People in sin can rationalize anything, even about God’s approval of their conduct. And I’m going to give you a couple examples of this quickly. In Jeremiah chapter 7, it’s one of my favorites. It’s tragic, really. Jeremiah, the prophet, the weeping prophet, doom is coming. The Babylonians are going to come in and destroy Jerusalem very soon.

It’s imminent. And I like what he says in verse 4. Do not trust in deceptive words, say. This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. You know what that’s all about? They’re running around the temple, not literally, maybe, but they’re running around the city of Jerusalem. God’s in our midst. We’re God’s covenant people. His temple is here. God’s not going to let anything happen to us. We’re the covenant people of God. Temple of the Lord, temple of the Lord. Jeremiah says, you’re trusting in these deceptive words to no avail. You better straighten up, amend your ways and your doings. God’s going to punish you. It’s coming. Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery? Verse 9. And swear falsely?

Again, those are notable examples of transgressing the will of God. You steal, murder, commit adultery, and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal. And walk after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in my house, in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered. That you may do all these abominations. Isn’t the game, isn’t it amazing the games people can play when they reside in sin and they’re indulging in the devil’s agenda. We are not ignorant of his devices. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2 and verse 11, what’s interesting is the Corinthians are being ignorant of his devices and how he’s using them. We are not ignorant of his schemes or devices, are we?

Psalm 50 is the other example I want to tell you briefly, and I really love the whole Psalm here, as he addresses the wicked specifically in verse 16, who said, What right do you have to even mouth my statutes? And he called them wicked. He says, You hate discipline, you cast my words behind you, verse 17. In other words, you just disregard everything that I say, and yet you claim to be my covenant people. You like the thief in your myth who steals and takes advantage of others, you associate with adulterers. Let’s go at lunch. You let your mouth loose in deceit, your tongue frames deceit, you sit and speak against your brother, you slander your own mother’s son. He says, These things you have done, and I kept silent.

3. The Misguided Believer Who Loses One's Way

In other words, you weren’t struck with a bolt of lightning on the spot. There was no visible side of my displeasure. He said, and you thought that I was just like you. You thought as a result, because I did not deal with this directly and openly, you thought, well, God must feel the same way. Again, they have no clue to their real condition. I will reprove you. And state the case in order before your eyes. Thus, even covenant people at times return to such indulgences. I don’t know how many in our audience are outside of Christ and who are dead in their trespasses and sins. There may well be some who need to come to the Lord for cleansing and salvation. But I know that there are more people in this audience who will be tempted to do as Paul warns the church at Rome in Romans chapter 6 and verse 21.

This verse has come to mean a lot to me, he says, and really it’s the whole context of Romans 6 that’s saying this, but he concludes by saying, Therefore, what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? Those things that you left to come into Christ. What benefit were you deriving? And he’s saying, Don’t go back to that. For the outcome of those things is death. The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. He’s not just talking about those outside of Christ. He’s talking about those in Christ who have forgotten what it means that they have died to sin and they have arisen to walk in newness of life in likeness of the Lord’s resurrection.

They’ve forgotten, they’ve lost sight of that. And so even covenant people. Those who are in Christ. And certainly Ephesians 2 is warning them not to go back to that lifestyle that they have left. The misguided believer who loses one’s way. Now I want to give you four examples here, and we’re going to have to do this quickly. So stay with me. Four examples to prove the point. Is that enough? More examples. How about Peter? Now, this is before the day of Pentecost, I realize, in Matthew 16. Where Jesus is telling the disciples he’s going to have to die. He’s going to be killed, but then he’ll rise again. And they’re just not grasping that whole concept. And Peter pulls Jesus aside and says, Oh, not so, Lord.

Don’t be saying this. This is bad for our kingdom concept we have going here. Don’t do this. What does Jesus say to Peter? You don’t, you haven’t set your interests on God’s things but man’s. He says, get behind me. Satan. He was promoting the devil’s agenda in trying to discourage the Lord from dying for the sins of the world. He was involved in the devil’s agenda and didn’t even realize it. Later. I know that was before the day of Pentecost. But later we know in Galatians chapter 2, when he was carried away with the hypocrisy of the Jews in regard to the Gentiles. Now he’s not going to have anything to do with the Gentiles, limiting his association with them. And Paul has to withstand him to the face, the one who had brought the first Gentiles into the kingdom of God.

And Paul has to withstand Peter to the face, and by all implications, he recovered. Yes. But in that moment, even Barnabas was carried away with this hypocrisy, it says, they were indulged in the devil’s agenda for a time. Well, how about this case of Ananias and Sapphira? They were in Christ. We know that story, right? How they kept back part of the price of the land that they had sold. Barnabas, of course, had sold the tract of land, laid the money at the apostles’ feet. And sort of in that vein, Ananias and Sapphira sell the tract of land, laid some of the money. But it appears that they wanted to give the impression that they had laid all the money at the apostles’ feet, but they kept back part of the price because it says, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price?

While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why have you conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. God knows your life. But what I want you to emphasize here and see is he says, Satan has been involved in his heart. Satan has filled your heart. You’ve allowed Satan to dominate you in this matter. Then there’s the church at Corinth, as we’ve been studying and their rejection of the Apostle Paul and the influences that had come to bear on them. And then the churches of Galatia, not one church, but a number of local churches who have been bewitched, Paul says in Galatians 3 and verse 1, they’re mixing elements of the law of Moses with the gospel of Christ.

They’re binding circumcision, and he says, as you do that, you have fallen from grace. You’re adding things to the gospel. It is another gospel. And he says, I’m amazed that you have succumbed to this in Galatians chapter 1. If any man preaches another gospel or even an angel of heaven, let him be accursed. He says, This persuasion does not come from him who calls you. Whoever is disturbing you, he’ll bear his judgment, whoever he is. And so here are people who come under the influence and sway of the devil even after they have come into Christ. And the thing about it is, I can only wonder how many of them recovered. We must not become complacent about our walk in Christ. And that’s really what’s going on in Ephesians 2.

4. We Must Not Become Complacent About Our Walk in Christ

It’s not just a history lesson. Oh, by the way, you were dead in your trespasses and sin, but now you’re in Christ. We’ll give you a little history lesson on what’s happened. It’s also like Romans 6, it’s telling them don’t go back to that. Realize what you have in Christ. Do not become complacent because Ananias and Sapphira died in that condition. And I’m unsure what happened ultimately at Corinth and in the churches of Galatian. Warning after warning is given throughout the New Testament to those who are already in Christ. In Hebrews chapter 2. That’s what the Hebrew writer is doing. Just a few passages in Hebrews. Hebrews 2 and verse 1. We must not become complacent about our walk in Christ. For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Be careful. So that you don’t drift away. 3 and 12. Take care, brethren. Brethren, lest there should be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart in falling away from the living God. In the devil’s clutches again. And he talks about being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin in verse 13, chapter 4 and verse 1. Let us hear, lest while a promise remains of entering his rest any of you should seem to have come short of it. One of the devil’s most effective tricks is to find his way back into the driver’s seat of our lives without us realizing what has occurred. And I want to take this a step further. We’ve talked about those who are outside of Christ. We’ve talked about now the misguided believer who loses one’s way.

5. The Covenant Person Who Treats Others With Contempt

And the warning to all of us who are in Christ in this audience this morning is let’s not become complacent. But I want to talk a little bit more specifically about the believer, the one who has come into the new covenant, who is now cleansed in Christ Jesus. Another specific pitfall that we need to be watchful of, and I want to conclude with this morning. The covenant person who loses one’s way as they treat others with contempt. Or who engage in merciless judging.

What does this older brother represent in the story? Remember, the younger brother asks for his inheritance, goes out, spends it all, ends up in what, comes to a senses, comes home, his father greets him, kills the batted calf, and the older brother is mad as a horn. I’ve always been with you, and you’ve never killed a batted calf for me. And the father says, Rejoice. Your brother who was lost has been found. He’s come home. This is a time for celebration. He doesn’t care a thing about that younger brother. And his recovery spiritually. All he cares about is himself. And he’s somehow been on the short end of the stick in this whole matter. The elder brother represents the Jews. The attitude of the Pharisees, as it says, they held others in contempt.

And Luke chapter 18. And then Jesus goes from that point that Luke makes. He then records the story of Jesus talking about the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. And the Pharisee prays on the street corner. I’ve done so many great things for you, God. I’m so religious and worshipful and good.

That publican. That Jesus then calls attention to, one who was unwilling to even lift his eyes unto heaven, who smites his breast and says, God be merciful to me, the sinner. And Jesus asked the question, which one of those two men went down to his house justified? When you hear that parable, it’s an easy answer. Obviously, it is the publican who goes down to his house justified by the Pharisee who’s not. But that story perfectly represents the attitude of the Pharisees toward people who were sinners. They didn’t see themselves as sinners, but those who were the dregs of society, the harlots. And yet Jesus would rub salt on that wound when he said, wouldn’t he say the harlots and the tax gatherers are getting into the kingdom of God before you.

Because they would humble themselves, acknowledge their sin. People like Zacchaeus, who were eager to hear Jesus. They looked at others with contempt. And on so many occasions, the healings of John chapter 5 and John chapter 9, all they cared about was that their Sabbath rules were broken, which were not God’s Sabbath rules, but their Sabbath rules were broken. Oh, that’s violation before God. Look at God living in human flesh who has performed this miracle. He knows the Sabbath laws better than you. They didn’t care about the fact that this man who had never walked before was walking. Or this man who had never seen before was seeing notable works of God. They didn’t care at all about them. They threw that man out of the synagogue in John chapter 9.

Because he indicted them. And they needed to be indicted. All their religiosity could not make up for their contempt of others. The judgment will be merciless to those who have shown no mercy. That’s an interesting context as we studied recently in James chapter 2. And he says that in the context of a guy who comes into your assembly who’s not as well dressed as everybody else. Who isn’t rich, who’s poor. And their disregard for him because they judged him for what he did not have materially. And then he says, faith without works is useless. That whole context goes together. I don’t care how many assemblies you have. If you don’t have the right attitude toward people, you’re not going to go to heaven. I want to warn you.

6. The Hardest Part: The Way We Think

Young people, I want you to listen to this. I’ve seen this over 30 years of preaching. We have a tendency to have a narrow definition of what Christianity is. We look at initial cleansing. A lot of folks don’t teach the truth about that, thus they never get in Christ because they do not believe in the necessity of baptism for their mission of sins. What the New Testament clearly teaches. And so we harp on that a lot, and what we said, we talk about what one must do to be saved. Initial cleansing from our sins. The reason why I say initial is because we’re talking about areas where those who have been cleansed who have now gone back to the devil’s agenda. Okay, with initial cleansing. And we talk a lot about the errors that people engage in regard to corporate worship.

I mean, the introduction of instrumental music that’s not authorized in the New Testament. All kinds of corruption of self-seeking entertainment that goes on in worship there. Or the way churches are organized. Denominations, synod councils, everything that goes with the corruption of the organization of the church. And then, of course, there are all the immoral vices. Drinking, homosexuality, adultery, fornication, all those things. And we talk about, and we define Christianity sometimes, and that’s what it means to us. And it does mean that. But there’s another part of this. Oh, it’s an important part. And I want to suggest to you that maybe it’s the hardest part of them all. I can stand here before you and tell you how glad I am that I have never taken a drink of alcohol in my life.

I’m thankful how everything played out in my life to where I was able to abstain from that. And I’m here to tell you, young people you can do it. Because I’ve done it.

But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t had some very real spiritual struggles. Though I conquered that one big aspect of it. We at least we look at it as big. It’s just one aspect. This part. That’s the hard part. The way we think. And I’ll tell you why.

Because it requires ongoing constant maintenance of what’s going on in here. I’ll tell you what we do a lot of times. You know, you said something that didn’t set well with me. In fact, you criticize me. Criticize. One strike and you’re out. Done with you. I’m glad Jesus didn’t do that. I’m glad Paul didn’t do that as you deal with Corinthians. One strike and you’re out. That’s the way we deal with people. You said something to hurt me. And instead of trying to resolve that, maybe there’s some truth to it. Instead of trying to resolve that and work that out and move on and forgive sometimes, that’s necessary to do too. You’ve got to forgive and move on. No, we’re done. I want to tell you can’t go to heaven with that attitude.

Don’t we passages talk about forgiving one another over and over again in the New Testament? I don’t care to hear it tell you. You can’t go to heaven with hate in your heart. There may be more people on the day of judgment who were in Christ who will be lost because of poor attitudes than because they were inebriating themselves.

Jealousy. Envy. Spiritual killer. Perhaps we’re struggling to get by, or so we measure it. You know, we’re actually all doing pretty well, but I love that commercial. I’m in debt up to my eyeballs. Here we are, just trying to get by. I’m in debt up to my eyeballs, somebody else. They got a new car. They got a new house. You know where it says, rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. We really like the second part a lot better than the first part. Misery loves company. Somebody cry, oh, I cry with them. But rejoice with somebody who rejoices. The first reaction is, I don’t have that. Somebody really admires them and likes them. Well, I can tell you something negative about them.

I can trim them down to size and not even to them face to face. I’ll just trim them down to others so they won’t think so highly of them. That’s what we do. That’s what happens. That’s what the Corinthians were doing to the Apostle Paul. A man who excels to be more like Christ, perhaps like no one before or after him. And they’re trimming him down to size. Because everybody respects and admires the Apostle Paul. Look. This other person, this other brother, he works harder and more effectively in the cause of Christ than I do. What’s my response to that? Praise be to God. Look, if somebody can come along and do this business of preaching better than me, and hey, they do. And as I approach that rocking chair, I know it’s going to be more.

What do you say? He must increase, but I must decrease. As John said in John chapter 3 and verse 30. We’re on the same team trying to accomplish the same goal. Well, he or she is an influential worker that is having a great impact on a number of people’s lives, and people are acknowledging her or acknowledging him. Praise be to God. This isn’t a competition. We’re all fortunate to be on a team. What kind of attitude do we have? The more you excel, the more I rejoice. Not envy and jealousy and hatred. No, I can take them down a notch or two. Look, I told people all the time you want to take me down a notch or two, join the club. It’s not a lot of hard work.

Conclusion

You can find things about me you don’t like, and just look a little bit. We’re on the same team. We’re not going to go to heaven with hate in our hearts. I don’t care if you never take another drink of alcohol. That’s just part of it. Let this mind be in you. Which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5. Well, if you are indulged in the devil’s agenda, you need to take full advantage of the Lord’s escape plan. And that’s what Paul is writing about in Ephesians chapter 2. And what Jesus Himself is talking about, a very real judgment day is coming in hell that is prepared for the devil and his angels, and those who do not respond to their brothers the way that they should.

In the fact that you have not done it to your brothers, you’ve not done it unto me, the Lord says. You show your loyalty to me by the way you serve my people and the way you help them. The righteous will go into life eternal, but the wicked into everlasting judgment. Where are you? Are you sure? You may feel fine. But is it really the case? That you’re indulging in the devil’s agenda and you need to come out of that mess while there’s time and opportunity. If we can assist you in doing that, come now as we stand and sing together.