Love You In The Lord Ministries
Collection Of Sermons : Dr. Rickey Honea, Th. D.

Preached by Dr. Rickey Honea, Th. D. 
12/10/2000 at College Heights Baptist Church - Lubbock Texas

Revelation 12:1-9 COSMIC COMBAT during  Christmas 2000 

I. Christmas is a tense time of year.
A. Christmas family squabbles are legendary.
Movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Chevy Chase is visited by relatives in a recreation vehicle.
They are staying only a month.    Some of those kind of relatives may be here today!
They check in -- but they never leave!
(What do we do with them?? Take them to church!)

B. When everyone is together, tensions are under surface.
1) First Christmas was just like this.
2) Underlying tension of the evil king trying to destroy the baby Jesus.
3) But there is even more in view - cosmic combat.
a) Nativity sets have animals, Magi, shepherds...
b) One person who should be there, and is missing, is Satan.
He is out to destroy your Christmas  -- your worship, praise . joy, happiness,   your giving etc.
c) More often Satan is running our emotions, cravings and desires during Christmas to the max.
d) Most wind up mad, frustrated empty, broke, disappointed etc...

II. More than meets the eye.
A. Christmas is actually a great battle.
1) In ancient times, earth was taken over by bad guys.
2) God wanted to get it back, but he knew there'd be opposition.

B. God's secret plan.
1) Do an "end run" - invade where they least expect it!
2) A pregnant unmarried teenager, an obscure village in a small
country, the God-man laid in a feeding trough.
3) God uses the simple things to confound the wise and powerful.
a) He still operates this way today.
b) God wants to conquer our pride and selfishness.

C. Revelation 12 puts Christmas in cosmic perspective.
1) Woman is either Mary or God's people (better).
2) Messiah is obviously in view. 12:5
3) Dragon tries to kill mother and child.

III. Bad guys and good guys.
A. The Dragon is Satan, the ultimate Bad Guy.
1) Satan tried to get Jesus throughout his ministry.
a) Slaughter of innocents, and flight to Egypt.
   Just think of how many innocent had to die for the Savior to be spared.
   Think of how many innocent today will die with out a Savior
b) Temptation in wilderness.
c) Inspiration for Judas and cross.
2) Satan is real, though many doubt him.

Illustration: #2942
Humorist Jeanne Robertson tells about a story that appeared in Southern newspapers a few years back:.
The story was about an unusual occurrence at the Porter's Chapel Church near Erwin, N.C.

The devil was picketing the church one Sunday morning --
startling sinners, frightening small children, and exhorting
passersby to stay away from church.

Folks who passed the little cinder block church on N.C. 82 saw a
red-suited creature with forked tail marching up and down in front of the church.

He carried a pitchfork in one hand and a sign in the other that urged people not to attend church.
According to a deputy, people were frightened to death.
Little kids were crying and even some of the grown folks looked a little upset.

It turned out that the "devil" was only the pastor in disguise.
I know what some of you are thinking.
It's usually the other way around - usually the devil is disguised as a pastor!

The Rev. Floyd Turlington told Harnett County deputies that he engineered the masquerade as an experiment in reverse psychology.
"If you tell people not to do something, then they're going to do it," he said.

What Turlington had not counted on was the panic that resulted.
Switchboards at the sheriff's office and the Erwin police department flashed with frantic calls.
There was one interesting sidelight.
Turlington said that one passing motorist stopped his car and said, 
"I just want to shake the devil's hand. 
I'VE BEEN MARRIED TO HIS SISTER FOR A LONG TIME."


B. Evil king Herod. - there is always someone who want to destroy Christmas
(Movie the Grinch who stole Christmas learned that there is more the Christmas than just lights, trees, and gifts)
1) Evil king Herod. "Let me know what you find." Matt 2:8
2) He then kills all the little kids in Bethlehem.
3) Many today are killing our kids by taking away their good hero's, by not bringing them up under the very hand of God etc.....
4) We teach our kids to go to the church of God rather than the God of the church.

C. God's part during all of this chaos.
1) He protects mother and child in wilderness. 12:6
2) Hints of flight to Egypt and Great Tribulation.
3) Church will be protected during the Tribulation by the Rapture. 1 Thess. 4:9-13

D. Angels part during all of this..
1) They "hover" in the next dimension.
a) Michael takes on Satan here. 12:7
b) Gabriel announces birth of Messiah in gospels.
2) Takes faith to see them - only godly shepherds are aware.
Only the saved are truly away of what is going on during Christmas. We are praising God for the birth of a Savior.

IV. The good guys win in the end.
A. Once again, God does it in a cunning way.
1) Instead of an all-powerful general, he sends a baby.
2) Instead of a crushing battle, he dies on a cross.

B. The battle isn't over yet.
1) We are still engaged in it.
2) As long as peace is not on earth, we are at war spiritually.

C. Victory will come when Jesus returns.
1) Satan will be vanquished.
2) The Divine Baby shall rule the earth.
Read the last chapter of Rev.

INVITATION:
When Christ wins that means WE WIN TOO !
The Word of God ( the last book of Revelation) reminds us --- 
the devil loses and Christ WINS !
This Christmas - accept the greatest gift of all -- Jesus Christ as your savior and the salvation that He gives to all who call upon His name ! 
Ask Him To be YOUR savior right now.

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