CHRIST THE ROCK CONGREGATION
DIMANCHE 11 OCTOBRE 2015
SERMON BY Pastor Marc E Simeon
GOD DOES NOT RUN HIS KINGDOM BY POPULARITY CONTEST
DIEU N’A PAS BESOIN DE LA VOTE POPULAIRE POUR RÉGNER SUR SON TRÔNE
Psaume 24:1
Ps 24:1 ¶ <<A Psalm of David.>> The earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. (NKJV)
1 ¶ Psaume de David. A l’Éternel la terre et ce qu’elle renferme, Le monde et ceux qui l’habitent! (LSV)
Deutéronome 10:14-15
De 10:14 “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it. 15 “The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. (NKJV)
14 Voici, à l’Éternel, ton Dieu, appartiennent les cieux et les cieux des cieux, la terre et tout ce qu’elle renferme.15 Et c’est à tes pères seulement que l’Éternel s’est attaché pour les aimer; et, après eux, c’est leur postérité, c’est vous qu’il a choisis d’entre tous les peuples, comme vous le voyez aujourd’hui. (LSV)
Psaume 115:15-16
Ps 115:15 May you be blessed by the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S; But the earth He has given to the children of men.
15 Soyez bénis par l’Éternel, Qui a fait les cieux et la terre! 16 Les cieux sont les cieux de l’Éternel, Mais il a donné la terre aux fils de l’homme.
Psaume 96:1-13
1¶ Chantez à l’Éternel un cantique nouveau! Chantez à l’Éternel, vous tous, habitants de la terre!
2 Chantez à l’Éternel, bénissez son nom, Annoncez de jour en jour son salut!
3 Racontez parmi les nations sa gloire, Parmi tous les peuples ses merveilles!
4 Car l’Éternel est grand et très digne de louange, Il est redoutable par-dessus tous les dieux;
5 Car tous les dieux des peuples sont des idoles, Et l’Éternel a fait les cieux.
6 La splendeur et la magnificence sont devant sa face, La gloire et la majesté sont dans son sanctuaire.
7 Familles des peuples, rendez à l’Éternel, Rendez à l’Éternel gloire et honneur!
8 Rendez à l’Éternel gloire pour son nom! Apportez des offrandes, et entrez dans ses parvis!
9 Prosternez-vous devant l’Éternel avec des ornements sacrés. Tremblez devant lui, vous tous, habitants de la terre!
10 ¶ Dites parmi les nations: L’Éternel règne; Aussi le monde est ferme, il ne chancelle pas; L’Éternel juge les peuples avec droiture.
11 Que les cieux se réjouissent, et que la terre soit dans l’allégresse, Que la mer retentisse avec tout ce qu’elle contient,
12 Que la campagne s’égaie avec tout ce qu’elle renferme, Que tous les arbres des forêts poussent des cris de joie,
13 Devant l’Éternel! Car il vient, Car il vient pour juger la terre; Il jugera le monde avec justice, Et les peuples selon sa fidélité.
THE EFFECT OF POPULARITY IN OUR WORLD
- Ask a lawyer, and he will tell you that popularity is everything.
- Ask a businessman, and he will tell you that popularity is everything
- Ask a university president and he will tell you that popularity is everything
- Ask a teenager, and he will tell you that popularity is everything
- Ask a politician, and he will tell you that popularity is everything.
- Why do people pick McDonald, Burger king, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Wendy’s, Dunkin Donut over other fine restaurants with comparable menus or superior service? The answer is popularity.
- Why do people drink coca cola more, use Colgate more, etc. . .? The answer is popularity
- Why do people use Tylenol and Aspirin more than the other pain killers? The answer is popularity
- Billions are spent in advertizing each year in order to maintain an edge on popularity
- People has a tendency to follow the crowd
- The most popular guy usually gets elected.
- I have a daughter who is trying to convince me that normal people (college students that is) go to sleep at 2:00 AM in the morning. My question is: at what time do abnormal people go to sleep? (11 PM )
- In America we define normal by the choice of the majority.
- The voice of the people is all that matter.
- Many of the things that were considered wrong in the past are now declared right because people’s opinion have shifted on them.
- We live in an era of relativity.
- There is not a dividing line between right and wrong.
- You choose your own list of wrongs and rights
- There is no absolute
- The voice of the people is all that matters.
- This is a democratic era
- Human beings are now the masters of their own destiny.
- You too are a god; you can create your own world, your own reality.
- Many people of high esteem (movie stars, entrepreneurs, athletes,) are now operating in that level of consciousness.
- Instead of worshiping a god from without, just concentrate to discover the god within.
SATAN USES THE SAME OLD TRICK SINCE THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO THE PRESENT
Genèse 3:1-6
Ge 3:1 ¶ Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 ¶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
1 ¶ Le serpent était le plus rusé de tous les animaux des champs, que l’Éternel Dieu avait faits. Il dit à la femme: Dieu a-t-il réellement dit: Vous ne mangerez pas de tous les arbres du jardin?
2 La femme répondit au serpent: Nous mangeons du fruit des arbres du jardin.
3 Mais quant au fruit de l’arbre qui est au milieu du jardin, Dieu a dit: Vous n’en mangerez point et vous n’y toucherez point, de peur que vous ne mouriez.
4 Alors le serpent dit à la femme: Vous ne mourrez point;
5 mais Dieu sait que, le jour où vous en mangerez, vos yeux s’ouvriront, et que vous serez comme des dieux, connaissant le bien et le mal.
6 ¶ La femme vit que l’arbre était bon à manger et agréable à la vue, et qu’il était précieux pour ouvrir l’intelligence; elle prit de son fruit, et en mangea; elle en donna aussi à son mari, qui était auprès d’elle, et il en mangea.
- Human beings are so lightheaded that Satan can get us with same lie over and over.
- Satan is the type of businessman who can sell ice even to the Eskimos.
- Satan enters paradise, found Adam and Eve in the most organic garden with unlimited variety of fruit and vegetable at their disposal.
- No hard labor was necessary for God took care to water the Garden with four different streams.
- They were clothed with the glory of God, so no physical garment was needed.
- They were pain free, worry free and guilt free.
- They had the most ideal and attractive relationship with God.
- After a short conversation with Satan, Eve was convinced that she was mistreated and victimized by the very God who installed them in the Garden.
- The good God they loved and adored before the conversation with the serpent is now an evil God in their eyes.
- A God who keeps people in ignorance in order to maintain dominance over them
- A God who prevents mankind from achieving his highest potential.
- That was the birth of Democracy: The voice of man over the voice of GOD.
- Mankind said to God, “From now on, we are in charge of our destiny.”
- The one act that would symbolize their independence from God was to eat of the forbidden fruit; and that was exactly what they did.
- The awaited elevation to godhood has become known as the fall of man.
- That day marked the beginning of suffering, and an ever falling of mankind.
- After the fact that human beings got ejected from the covering of God, we became subjected to Satan, to death, to curse, to alienation from God, to devil worship, and to corruption of all sorts.
GOD DOES NOT RUN HIS KINGDOM BY POPULARITY CONTEST
- God had obviously lost the first popularity contest with mankind.
- Adam and Eve favored the advice of Satan.
- Satan became increasingly more popular than God on earth so much so that, by the time of Noah, no one knew the true God except for that righteous man named Noah and his family.
- Alas for the enemy! The popularity of Satan cannot remove God from His throne.
- Satan’s popularity has no bearing upon who God is and what God can do.
- God remains the Supreme Ruler and Sustainer of the universe regardless of the opinion of the majority of people.
- God reserves the full right to do whatever he pleases with this universe, because it is His.
- In his indignation to the depravation of mankind, God decided to eradicate the entire human race from the earth and no one could contest that.
Genèse 6:5-8
Ge 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 ¶ And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
7 So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
8 ¶ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
5 L’Éternel vit que la méchanceté des hommes était grande sur la terre, et que toutes les pensées de leur cœur se portaient chaque jour uniquement vers le mal.
6 ¶ L’Éternel se repentit d’avoir fait l’homme sur la terre, et il fut affligé en son cœur.
7 Et l’Éternel dit: J’exterminerai de la face de la terre l’homme que j’ai créé, depuis l’homme jusqu’au bétail, aux reptiles, et aux oiseaux du ciel; car je me repens de les avoir faits.
8 ¶ Mais Noé trouva grâce aux yeux de l’Éternel.
- The God they did not honor was still in charge.
- No vote was taken to determine what to do with humanity.
- Mankind could not stop the decree of God.
- All the forces combined, could not stop God, because He is the owner, the sustainer and the supreme ruler of this world.
THE POPULARITY OF SATAN AFTER THE FLOOD
Satan gets popular again after the flood (The Tower of Babel)
- Satan put rebellion in the heart of men again.
- Human beings set out to teach God a lesson in reminiscence of the flood.
- They began to build a city in defiance of God.
- Should God decide to flush mankind away with another flood, this building will elevate above the waters all the way to the heavens.
- Never again would God be able to do what He did with flood, so they thought.
- The whole idea of the Tower of Babel was another whisper of the devil to the ears of a sinful mankind.
Genèse 11:1-9
Ge 11:1 ¶ Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.
3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.
4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
5 ¶ But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.
7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.
9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
1 ¶ Toute la terre avait une seule langue et les mêmes mots.
2 Comme ils étaient partis de l’orient, ils trouvèrent une plaine au pays de Schinear, et ils y habitèrent.
3 Ils se dirent l’un à l’autre: Allons! faisons des briques, et cuisons-les au feu. Et la brique leur servit de pierre, et le bitume leur servit de ciment.
4 Ils dirent encore: Allons! bâtissons-nous une ville et une tour dont le sommet touche au ciel, et faisons-nous un nom, afin que nous ne soyons pas dispersés sur la face de toute la terre.
5 ¶ L’Éternel descendit pour voir la ville et la tour que bâtissaient les fils des hommes.
6 Et l’Éternel dit: Voici, ils forment un seul peuple et ont tous une même langue, et c’est là ce qu’ils ont entrepris; maintenant rien ne les empêcherait de faire tout ce qu’ils auraient projeté.
7 Allons! Descendons, et là confondons leur langage, afin qu’ils n’entendent plus la langue, les uns des autres.
8 Et l’Éternel les dispersa loin de là sur la face de toute la terre; et ils cessèrent de bâtir la ville.
9 C’est pourquoi on l’appela du nom de Babel, car c’est là que l’Éternel confondit le langage de toute la terre, et c’est de là que l’Éternel les dispersa sur la face de toute la terre.
- Once again, God went against the voice of the people.
- The people say, let’s stay in one place
- God say no, “You will wander away to the ends of this earth and multiply it.”
- Since the ability to communicate to one another came from God, all God had to do was to confound their language, and the building project of the Tower of Babel was interrupted at once.
- Satan’s or humans’ popularity does not affect God in any way what so ever.
- It’s God who decide when there should be rain, snow, famine, abundance and fertility.
SATAN OPERATES SOLELY BY LIES AND POPULARITY
Satan relies always on his popularity to maintain a seat in the heart of the world.
- He is the father of lies
- He is the father of deception and make belief
- He is the father of ignorance
- He is the father of arrogance
- He is the father of destruction
- He is the father of rebellion
- He is the father of greed
- He is the father of injustice
- He is the father of stealing
- He is the father of unforgivness
- He is the father of evil
- He is the father of pride
- He is the father of division
- He is the father of shame and disgrace
- He is the father of selfishness
- He is the father killing stealing and destroying
- He is the enemy of peace
- He is the enemy of love
- He is the enemy of joy
- He is the enemy of righteousness
- He is the enemy of unity
- He is the enemy of grace
- He is the enemy of contentment
Satan always wants to challenge God on a popularity contest
- He was so popular in heaven that a third of the angels of God had fallen with him.
- He was so popular that in the time of Moses that no one knew of the true God; not even the children of Israel knew Him
- Pharaoh really though he was god, or the personification of the highest God.
Exode 3:9-10
Ex 3:9 “Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
9 Je sais que le roi d’Égypte ne vous laissera point aller, si ce n’est par une main puissante. 20 J’étendrai ma main, et je frapperai l’Égypte par toutes sortes de prodiges que je ferai au milieu d’elle. Après quoi, il vous laissera aller.
Exode 5:1-2
Ex 5:1 ¶ Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.'” 2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.”
1¶ Moïse et Aaron se rendirent ensuite auprès de Pharaon, et lui dirent: Ainsi parle l’Éternel, le Dieu d’Israël: Laisse aller mon peuple, pour qu’il célèbre au désert une fête en mon honneur. 2 Pharaon répondit: Qui est l’Éternel, pour que j’obéisse à sa voix, en laissant aller Israël? Je ne connais point l’Éternel, et je ne laisserai point aller Israël.
- After 10 plagues, each one stronger than the former, pharaoh and all Egypt gave-up and let the Israelites go.
- The high popularity of Satan was to no avail to stop the decree of God over Egypt.
- When Israel became a nation, Satan managed again to become more popular than God in the very Promised Land.
- Israel was swinging from left to right like a bell not knowing who should be the God of the Land
- Elijah had to publish a wrestling match between the two contestants (God and Baal)
- The God who answered by fire will be the God of the land was the dare.
- Lo and behold 850 Prophets of Baal and Astarte could not bring Baal to the scene.
- The one prophet of God Elijah had won the land back to God.
- Satan’s all time popularity could not stop the Son of God to come as a baby, although he tried his hardest.
- Satan’s all time popularity could not stop Jesus from coming out of the Grave although he had guards watching over the sepulcher.
- Satan’s all time popularity could not stop the Holy Spirit from coming on the day of Pentecost.
- Satan’s all time popularity could not stop the Church of Jesus Christ from turning the world upside down with the Gospel, accompanied by signs and wonders
- Satan’s all time popularity cannot root out the church in the world, although he is working tirelessly in aim to achieve that goal.
- Satan’s all time popularity will not be able to stop the rapture of the church, although he has some failing plans to stop it.
- Satan’s all time popularity will not be able to prevent Jesus from coming back for His millennial kingdom, although that will be the beginning of his doom.
Révélation 20:1-3
Re 20:1 ¶ Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
1¶ Puis je vis descendre du ciel un ange, qui avait la clef de l’abîme et une grande chaîne dans sa main. 2 Il saisit le dragon, le serpent ancien, qui est le diable et Satan, et il le lia pour mille ans. 3 Il le jeta dans l’abîme, ferma et scella l’entrée au-dessus de lui, afin qu’il ne séduisît plus les nations, jusqu’à ce que les mille ans fussent accomplis. Après cela, il faut qu’il soit délié pour un peu de temps.
- After the thousand years of imprisonment, shortly after his release, Satan will get all popular again for the last time.
- Satan will display his last arrogance against God.
- Satan will dare God for the last Time with his popularity.
- Satan will be given the true opportunity square with God in the boxing ring.
Révélation 20:7-10
Re 20:7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
7 Quand les mille ans seront accomplis, Satan sera relâché de sa prison.
8 Et il sortira pour séduire les nations qui sont aux quatre coins de la terre, Gog et Magog, afin de les rassembler pour la guerre; leur nombre est comme le sable de la mer.
9 Et ils montèrent sur la surface de la terre, et ils investirent le camp des saints et la ville bien-aimée. Mais un feu descendit du ciel, et les dévora.
10 Et le diable, qui les séduisait, fut jeté dans l’étang de feu et de soufre, où sont la bête et le faux prophète. Et ils seront tourmentés jour et nuit, aux siècles des siècles.
- Satan’s last attempt to overthrow God will end with his fate.
- He will have the whole world and his angels on his side.
- Both the Church and Israel would already be spared from this world.
- God will have no more interest in this world but to destroy it.
- Satan and his army will not even last a second before being destroyed by God.
- The vast popularity of Satan over God will be to no avail to him when he would need it the most.
- GOD DOES NOT RUN HIS KINGDOM BY POPULARITY CONTEST. PERIOD!
CONCLUSION
- Do not be fooled by Satan’s popularity in this world.
- He is only digging a hole to burry himself when he raises his fits against God.
- No one dares God and gets away with it.
Ro 12:1-2
Ro 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1 ¶ Je vous exhorte donc, frères, par les compassions de Dieu, à offrir vos corps comme un sacrifice vivant, saint, agréable à Dieu, ce qui sera de votre part un culte raisonnable.
2 Ne vous conformez pas au siècle présent, mais soyez transformés par le renouvellement de l’intelligence, afin que vous discerniez quelle est la volonté de Dieu, ce qui est bon, agréable et parfait.
- Do not fear Satan, he is already a defeated foe.
- GOD DOES NOT RUN HIS KINGDOM BY POPULARITY CONTEST.
AMEN!
Pasteur Marc Simeon 