One Night In Bethlehem: No Silent Night (Part 1)

I. II.

(SLIDE 1) (When I first walk up to the stage)

(SLIDES 2-9 Mouse Click) Text: Luke 2. 1; 3-20 (NLT)

A.

Introduction: On that fateful Christmas nightmore was stirring than appeared on the surface
III. A. Most of you probably have a Nativity scene that you take out for Christmas 1. You place it on a mantelor a coffee table for
everyone to seewe have ours in the lobby of the Brannon Building

a) You can see best at nightwhen it grows dark and you can see the lights of the Nativity scene 2. Most of the Nativity scenes share a regular cast of
charactersshepherdswise mena few barnyard animalsJosephMaryand of course Jesus

a) Some of themmay have an angel or two 3. But thats about as far as the supernatural getsa
couple of angels

B. What is the overall mood of the Nativity scene? 1. Dont they all have.a sort of warmfuzzy pastoral
atmosphere to them?

a) A quietintimate feelinglike you get when you sing Silent Night Holy Nightor Away in the Manger

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C. In realityas little baby Jesus was laying in the managera battle of cosmic proportionswas taking place 1. And while all of that is trueit is also very deceiving
because it is not a full picture of whats really going on

D. (SLIDE 10 Mouse Click) It was NO SILENT NIGHT 1. Even though little baby Jesusmay have been laying
His sweet head downon that manger bed asleep and at rest

2. All hell was breaking loose in the heavenlies a) Spiritually speaking it was NO SILENT NIGHT b)

E. (SLIDE 11 Mouse Click) It was D-Day in the heavenliesit was the storming of Normandy on the beaches of Satans domain 1. That little boy-child was more than a cute little baby a) He was the King of Kingsand Lord of Lords b) (SLIDE 12 Mouse Click) And he was storming the beachesof the kingdoms of this worldto RULE all the nations with an iron rod c) (SLIDE 13 Mouse Click) The battle of all battles was on F. (SLIDES 14-17 Mouse Click) Turn with me to Revelation 12. 1-5 and 7-9 (NLT) and lets read this passage together... G. Phillip Yancey saysI have never seen this version of the story on a Christmas card...yet it is the truer story H.
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I. J. What was going on that fateful nightis what Yancey calls the birth of Christ the Great Invasion 1. He goes on and saysit was a daring raid by the ruler
of the forces of goodinto the universes seat of evil...

K. (SLIDE 18 Mouse Click) This revelation of a cosmicbattlethat took place in that quiet little town of Bethlehemis almost beyond most of our ability to comprehend... 1. Yet I am here this morning...to try to open your eyes to
a spiritual worldthat is more real than anything you can feeltouchor see

L. How could we have failed to see this for so many years? 1. This unveiling of the true natureof what took place
on that Christmas dayis the key to understanding Christmasand the foundation of our faith

M. Let me see if I can explain it to you this way 1. I believe that we live in parallel worlds a) One world consists of hillsand lakesand barnspoliticiansand shepherds watching their flocks by night b) And the other world consists of angelsand demonsand the whole spiritual realm c) This is the classic story of Goodversus Evil N. This is what I was talking abouta few weeks ago when I mentioned the book This Present Darknessthat I read back in 1986the year I began CareCenter Ministriesand my eyes were opened upto the other side of darkness

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1. If you rememberI played the video about the movie

the Exorcist that came out in 1973and how it produced a mass hysteria across Americathat I believe had more to do with a demonic influencethat was on the moviethan just a pseudo-realistic movie about a demon possessed girl

a) Then how my pastor at the timehad wrote a book entitled Why Demons Cannot Be Possessed 2. Then I talked about how there had been some early
demonic activity in my on lifewhere I had experiences demonic attacks on my life

a) Where for a momentI could see into the spiritual realmand actually saw a demon on my kitchen table b) I know that sounds weirdand I am not given to seeing things like that 3. How in the early years of CareCenterI would be
praying in my prayer closetand doing spiritual warfareand there would be times where I knew that I was standing face to facewith the strongman of a regionhis very presence in the room with me

O. I said all of thisa few weeks backto demonstrate the evolution in my own lifeof this war that is going on between parallel worlds 1. Of the things we can see in this worldthat we can
touchhearseeand feel

a) And the other world that consists of angels demonsand the whole spiritual realmthat we cannot see with our natural eyes P. In the story of Christmaswe find a child that is borna women who escapesand the story continues on today

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1. (SLIDE 19 Mouse Click) In Revelation 12.17 (NLT) the

story continueslets look at it together...And the dragon was ANGRY at the woman and declared war against the rest of her childrenall who keep Gods commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.

Q. You must see that a dramatic shift took placein the heavenlies on that first Christmas Day 1. The dragon could not devour the boy-childso he
became angry at the woman...

R. Then he turned his attention to her childrenand declared war upon those who keep Gods commandments and confess that they belong to Jesus 1. And todaywe the children of Godare on the
frontlines of a fierce spiritual battlethat is the blame for most of the casualties you see around you

a) And for most of the assaults that are coming against you S. I have preached about this battlein so many different waystrying to get the point acrossour battle is not against flesh and blood 1. But most people just look at me like a calf staring at a
new gate

a) You dont know what you are talking aboutmy battle is with my husbandmy battle is with my wifemy battle is with my bossmy battle is with everything I seefeeland touch b) And couldnt possibly have anything to do with any demonsdevilsor an enemy that wants to killstealand destroy your life

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T. Maybe as I talk about the Christmas storyduring this Christians seasonyou will come to realize that behind the Christmas storythere is a dragon who lost a battleand this dragon is determined to devour anyone who reflects the image of God 1. He hates Godbecause he could not be like Him 2. U. Satan wanted to be like Godbecause he saw His beautyHis majestyand His glory 1. And Satan wanted His beautyHis majestyand His
glory

V. It was not enough for Satanto be the most beautiful and gifted of Gods Angelshe wanted to be like God 1. So he gathered an army of angelsto battle against
Godand to take over Gods kingdom

a) But Michaelthe arch-angelalong with the heavenly hostfought against the dragon and his army b) And Satan and a third of the angelslost their place in heaven W.And the battle rages on todayGods armyversus all the forces of Evil 1. It is the image of God reflected in youthat so enrages
helland its fury

a) Satan hates God so muchtherefore he hates you and me 2. It is the image of Godreflected in usthat demons
hurl their mightiest weapons

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X. Let me give you a personal illustration of how Satan works in our lives...how this silent battle...behind the scenes...is going on... 1. Quite a few years agoI can remember one Friday
morningGlenda and I were driving down to Waco...

a) We had been married for a few yearsand we had this on-going issue surrounding some of my driving habits 2. For you to really understand the battleyou first
have to understandthat I am a great driverand Glenda just doesnt appreciate my above-average driving skills

a) Im such a great driverI dont even need my hands to driveI can drive with my legsand it just drives Glenda crazy b) For some odd reasonshe just doesnt think my knees on the steering wheel...are as good for handling the caras my hands on the steering wheel c) I just dont get ithands on steering wheel knees on steering wheel 3. Then to make matters worseGlenda is rather gunshyand skittishwhen it comes to driving in a car because shes been hurt several timesin many different car accidents

a) By the waynone of them with me driving 4. There had beenon several occasions before this trip
to Wacowhere we had some pretty tense arguments and fightsdebating my driving ability

a) It seems kind of funny nowbut during those first few years of our marriagethere wasnt anything very funny about it
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b) It was a hot-button in our relationshipand I just didnt appreciate her questioning my driving abilityand not showing respect toward meas much as I respected my own driving 5. So on this beautiful Friday morningwell over 13
years agoGlenda just had to say something about it while I was driving the car with my knees again

a) b) c) d) e) I came unglued on the insideI thought to myselfHow dare you say anything to me about driving with my knees f) I am an accomplished knee driving expertI have driven like this for 26 yearsand never had an accident g) 6. 7. 8. In about twenty secondsI was ready to kill hertell
her where to stick her observations about my driving

a) b) Now you got to realizeI didnt say anything to herI was just saying all of thisto myself c) I dont even think she realizedhow angry I was at the time d) Yet I sat at the wheel of the carsilent and steaming on the inside
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9. On the outside I looked cool and calmbut on the

insidelisten to what was going on

a) Mandoesnt Glenda knowI know how to drive? b) Ive been driving for over thirty yearsand I have not had an accidentsince I was sixteen years old... c) I hate it when she questions me like that... d) Then another voice says to meShe always does that...shes always saying something about my driving... 10. Now you have to realizethis is taking place in a
blink of an eyeI am reacting and having this conversation internallyand she doesnt even know what is going on

a) And then Im thinking...You knowI really hate that about her b) And then a feeling of accusationand angerand self-righteousnessbegins to sweep over me... c) Then I hear another voice saying to meLeonardthis is never going to change...she is never going to stop treating me this way 11. So here I amcarrying on a conversation with the
Deviland I respond back to him and sayYou know what...your right...this is never going to changeshe is always going to be disrespectful to meshe is never going to show me the honor that is due me me

a) And the voice comes back and says to meYou know theres are a lot of women out therewho would be deeply gratefulto have such a great driveras me

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b) To have someone who would really appreciate my special driving skills... 12. Then I begin to think to myselfYeahthere are a lot
of women out there who would appreciate a husband like me

Y. You get the pictureyou see the battle 1. Change the characterschange the circumstances
and the very same thing has happened to you...how many times

Z. Satan can take an innocent moment in timeand blow it out of proportionto the point where you want to giveup 1. Walk away from a marriagea jobor even the
call of God on your life

AA. And not only thatbut Satan will make you think that every thing you have ever hoped for is lostand life is hopeless 1. The you become like Don Quixote of La Mancha
swinging at windmillsthinking they are knights on horsebacktrying to destroy you

a) When in realitythere are just windmills figments of your imagination BB. Has it ever crossed your mindnot every thought that crosses your mindcomes from you? 1. What I experienced that day in the carhappens all the
time in marriagesin ministriesin churches and in any relationship...

a) We are being lied tooall the time... b) Satan is trying to influence usat every turn and in every situationwhere he can thwart the will of God for our lives
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2. You may askWhere do all these ideascome

from?Where do all these feelings come from?

CC. They are coming from Satan himself 1. Who caused the Chaldeans to steal Jobs herdsand
kill his servantsSatan did(Job 1.12, 17)

2. Who kept that poor women bent over for eighteen

years with an infirmitythe one Jesus healed on the SabbathSatan did

a) (SLIDE 20 Mouse Click) Luke 13.16 confirms thisAnd this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom SATAN has BOUND for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day? b) She was not just sickshe had a demonic infirmity in her bodythat was a result of a demonic attack 3. Who moved Ananias and Sapphira to lie to the
apostlesSatan again

a) (SLIDE 21 Mouse Click) Look at it with meActs 5.3Peter said, Ananias, why did you let Satan rule your thoughts to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep for yourself part of the money you received for the land? DD. But do you really see Satans hand in your infirmityin your actions 1. In the mist of an argument or a fightor a schism in a
churchor a ministry?

2. Do you see Satan at work in your marriage trying to

separate you and your spouse?

a) Or do you think the problems you are facing in your marriageare just between you and your spouseor your inability to get along with each other...?
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3. How about your job? a) Do you think Satan is trying to get you to lose your jobor cause you to not get alone with your boss? b) Or do you think the problem is just between you and your boss? 4. Why is itthat you always think it is someone elses
faultand never between you and the enemy of your soul

The enemy is working over timeto get you to dismiss your problems as being psychological physicalor even political by nature...
IV. A. There is a lot more going on behind the scenes of our livesthan what most of you can imagine... 1. Even though every thing my appearAll quiet on the
eastern frontthere is NO SILENT NIGHTin the Christmas of your life...

B. There is a battlebeing waged against you and your familyagainst you and your destinyagainst you and the forces of evil 1. But the question iswill you show up for the fight...or
will you ignorethere is even a battle going on around you...

C. Satan is working overtimeto remove you from the battlefield 1. He wants to knock you out...take you out of the fight D. He is doing everything he can to keep you from...either SEEING there is a battleor REMOVING you from the battle 1.

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E. The invasion of Franceand the beginning of the end of WWII...actually began the night before the Allies hit the beaches at Normandywhen the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisionswere dropped in behind enemy lines to cut off Hitlers reinforcements... 1. If youve seen the Longest Dayor Saving Private
Ryan...you remember the dangers those paratroopers were facing...

2. Alone or in small groupsthey moved through the

dead of nightacross a country they had never been to in order to fight an enemy they couldnt seeor predict...

3. It was a moment of unparalleled braveryand

cowardice

F. Not every trooper was a hero on that fateful night 1. Sure they jumpedbut afterward many of them hid out
of fear...

1) One group took cowardice to a new level

they hunkered down in hedgerowsto await the dawna few had even gone to sleep. One of the soldiers in the 506thsaw what was perhaps the worst dereliction of duty. He had gathered a squad new Vierville. Hearing all kinds of noise and singing from a distance he and his men sneaked up on a farmhouse. In it was a mixed group from both American divisions. The paratroopers had found some liquorin the cellarand he said he had never seen a drunker bunch of hillbillies on a Saturday night wingding

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b) 2. These men knew they were at waryet they refused to

act like it...

G. They lived in a dangerous state of denial... 1. A denial that not only endangered thembut countless
others who depended on them to do their duty

2. It is a perfect picture of the church today in America

when it comes to spiritual warfare

a) I am afraid that many of you are like these soldiers 3. You have hunkered down in the hedgerows and you
are awaiting dawntill it is safe to come out

H. We are all part of a armyand there is a battle raging over our lives...we are at war 1. This is NO SILENT NIGHTthis Christmas season
has to be different from all other Christmas before

This Christmasyou must realizethere is a battle going on for your lifeyour familys lifethe life of this churchand the life of this ministry
V. A. The key to your survival...and the survival of this church and ministry...depends on whether you recognize it...or see the things that are invisibleand are willing to do the things that are impossible 1. Satan is not playing games with you this morning
there is no dtente with the Devil...

2. He has one objectiveand that is to killstealand

destroyeverything about you

a) Your familyyour kidsyour grandchildren your callyour purposeand your destiny

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B. I have seen it so many times beforepeople allow the enemy to set up the perfect stormall hell breaks loose 1. The enemy begins to take us apartone battle at a
time

2. Gods purposes for our lifeGods purposes for this

church...Gods purposes for having us here on this cornerat this placeat this timeis under attack

3. And the hidden forces of evilwill do anything to

destroy Gods purposes on this earth

C. Satan wants to defeat ushe wants to make us a causality of waror cause us to be AWOLmissing in action...where we just give-uprun awayand become victims of our pastor even of our futureeither way he wins 1. But God is sounding a clarion battle cry this
morningwill anyone hear it

2. We can eitherawaken ourselves for battle...or we can

lay down and quitand just slowly dieone battle at a time

D. I choose to take my stand this morningI choose life over death 1. I choose victory over defeatI choose truth over
a lieI choose to walk in my destinytake the fight to the deviland be more than a conqueror and walk in my pedigree

E. You are either on the offensive this morningand moving forward 1. Or youre bunkered-down in a fox-holeholding-out
hoping for the war to end

F. But I want to let inon a little secretthe war is never going to end
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1. This Christmas is NO SILENT NIGHTwe are in a

battle to end

a) On Christmas day2000 years agoa Savior was bornwho crushed the head of our enemy...under His feet 2. This little baby in a managergrew up to be the Great
Lion of Judahthe King of Kingsand Lord of Lords

a) He stands victoriousin the face of all of history G. Historyis nothing more than His-Story 1. From the beginning of all timeto the end of this
age

a) (SLIDE 22 Mouse Click) God stands victoriousa mighty warrior taking back everything the enemy has stolen from ustill the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christwhere He shall reign forever and ever! (Revelation 11.15) H. Let me close with this epic storyof David and Goliath 1. I love this storybecause it gives me hope this
morning

a) All the men of Israelwere afraid to stand before Goliaththey were shell-shocked and weary from battle 2. And then this little shepherd boywho would later
become the King of Israelstood before Goliathin battle array

a) This young shepherd boyknew his Godand he knew himself

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b) He knew that the battle was not his to fightbut that the battle (was) the Lordsand that his Godwould give his enemyinto his hands 3. David the great warriorDavid the man after Gods
own heartwould not defeat his enemyin his own strength or might

a) He would not defeat the great enemy of the Lord with his on sword or spearbut he would defeat him in the name of the Lord of hostsand the God of the armies of Israel 4. He took what weapon he hadand put his hand
into his bagand took from it a stone and slung it at Goliath

a) God took what weapons he possessedwhat he had in his bagand hit Goliath in the foreheadand struck him dead I. (SLIDE 23 Mouse Click) I have a WORD FROM GODfor you this morning 1. If there was only one Christmas giftI could give you
this yearthis would be it

a) Psalms 45.3-4, NLT 3 Put on your sword, O mighty warrior! You are so glorious, so majestic! 4 In your majesty ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Let Your right hand teach You awesome things. J. Stand up with me pleaseI finish with this quote from the bookWild At Heart 1. The reality of this war can be harsh...and you can
shut your eyes to it only at your perilbecause if you do not face up to the enemy in all his dark power....then the enemy will come up from behind some dark dayand destroy you while you are facing the other way... (Frederick Buechner, Wild At Heart p. 157)
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K. How many of you are facing the other way...this morning 1. Not paying attention to the enemy that is destroying
your life...

2. He lies to you...He manipulates you...He tries to

destroy every thing about you that is good...

a) Your marriage...your family...your children... your very life 3. You have bought the liebut it is not to lateyou
can repentyou can change the course of your life

a) You can make a tactical adjustmentand get back on course 4. Please listen to the Word of the Lord this morning
please change of the course that is set for you this morning

a) One moment in timeone decision this morning can change all the bad mistakesall the bad decisionsall the pain and sorrow you have caused yourselfand caused others

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