BEWARE OF

EMPTINESSGenesis 1:1-4

THE POINTWE ALL KNOW AS CHRISTIANS THAT WE SHOULD READ THE BIBLE, STUDY AND MEDITATE ON IT. DO WE REALLY KNOW WHY? SOME OF US DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO READ. SOME DO THAT BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW GOD. VERY FEW UNDERSTAND THE BLESSINGS RELATED TO THE BIBLE. TODAY WE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION RELATED TO THE BIBLE THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW OF. THE BIBLE IS THE FIRST WEAPON AGAINST THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS. THE BIBLE KEEPS US IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF LIGHT AND LIFE AND PROVIDES SUCH A PROTECTION FOR THE CHILD OF GOD THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO NEGLECT IT.

GENESIS 1:1-4

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over

the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering

over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light

from the darkness.

THE TWO STATES OF THE EARTH

A state determined by shapelessness and

emptiness

A state determined by water

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the

surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the

waters.

THE TWO STATES OF THE EARTH

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over

the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering

over the waters.

The deep The waters

THE TWO STATES OF THE EARTH

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over

the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering

over the waters.

DARKNESS

The watersWITHOUT SHAPE &EMPTY

SPIRIT OF GOD

DEFINITION

FORMELESS : Without shape, without definition.

EMPTY: with nothing inside, void.

DARKNESS

WITHOUT SHAPE &EMPTY

DEFINITION

WATER : THE WORD OF GOD

The waters

SPIRIT OF GOD

DEFINITION

FORMELESSNESS & EMPTINESS draw DARKNESS.

DARKNESS signifies the reign of Satan

DARKNESS

WITHOUT SHAPE &EMPTY

DEFINITION

THE WATERS, (THE WORD OF GOD) DRAWS THE SPIRIT OF GOD

The waters

SPIRIT OF GOD

THE SPIRIT FOLLOWS THE WORD

THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND UPON THAT MAN,

THE SPIRIT CAME DOWN AND REMAINED

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have

seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of

grace and truth”.

John 1:33 “I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to

baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down

and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”

MAN AS THE EARTH

JUST AS THE EARTH WAS FORMLESS AND EMPTY, MAN

CAN BE FORMLESS AND EMPTY.

A MAN IS FORMLESS WHEN HE HAS NO PRINCIPLES, HE

CANNOT BE DEFINED. HE GOES ACCORDING TO THE

FLOW. HE HAS NO PURPOSE, NO GOAL.

A MAN IS EMPTY WHEN THERE IS NO WORD OF GOD IN

HIM.

RUBEN: A SHAPELESS MAN

RUBEN HAD NO PRINCIPLES

GENESIS 49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2 "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

JOSEPH: A MAN WITH PRINCIPLES

JOSEPH HAD PRINCIPLES.

HE HAD VALUES.

THERE WERE THINGS HE WAS NOT

READY TO DO.

GENESIS 39

BEWARE OF DARKNESS

A MAN WITH NO PRINCIPLES IS

AN EMPTY MAN.

SUCH A MAN IS A PREY TO

DARKNESS, DEMONS.

BEWARE OF DARKNESS

DEMONS LIKE DRY AND EMPTY PLACESMatthew 12:43

43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places

seeking rest and does not find it.

44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the

house unoccupied (empty), swept clean and put in order.

45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself,

and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse

than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

BEWARE OF DARKNESS

DEMONS POSSESS A MAN’S LIFE TO PLUNGE HIM

INTO THE WORKS OF DARKNESS.Matthew 12:43-45

43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and

does not find it.

44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house

unoccupied (empty), swept clean and put in order.

45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in

and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it

will be with this wicked generation."

BEWARE OF DARKNESS

THE WORKS OF DARKNESS ARE SINSEphesians 5

5 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

BEWARE OF DARKNESS

DEMONS ISOLATE PEOPLE FOR THEIR DESTRUCTION

LUKE 826 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" 29 For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

RESISTING DARKNESS

FILLING MY HEART WITH THE WORD OF GODJOHN 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

RESISTING DARKNESS

FILLING MY HEART WITH THE WORD OF GOD TO

DISPEL DARKNESS OUT OF MY HEART.

WHEN DARKNESS LEAVES YOUR HEART, DEMONS

LOOSE THEIR HOLD IN YOUR HEART.II CORINTHIANS 4

6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

RESISTING DARKNESS

A CHILD OF GOD IS A CHILD OF LIGHT. HE IS A

CHILD OF THE WORD. HE MUST FEED ON THE

WORD TO KEEP THAT LIGHT SHINING IN HIS

HEART.EPHESIANS 5:8

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light”

DELIVRANCE AT SALVATION

YOU ARE SAVED FROM THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS WHEN

YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIORColossians 1

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the

inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us

into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT)

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

BEWARE OF BACKSLIDING

THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS BRINGS DELIVRANCE FROM

THE CORRUPTION OF THE WORLD, THE GRIP OF DEMONS.2 PETER 2:20

“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by

knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again

entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end

than they were at the beginning.”

THE FACT

THIS IS WHY BELIEVERS WHO DO NOT FEED ON THE

WORD CAN BE WORSE THAN UNBELIEVERS2 PETER 2:20

“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by

knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are

again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse

off at the end than they were at the beginning.”

KEEP YOUR HEART

THIS IS WHY BELIEVERS WHO DO NOT FEED ON THE

WORD CAN BE WORSE THAN UNBELIEVERS

PROVERBS 4:23

“ Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring

of life.”

PSALMS 119:105

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

FEED YOUR HEART WITH THE WORD OF GOD. THE SPIRIT OF GOD

WILL FILL YOUR LIFE AND CAUSE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT TO

GROW IN YOUR LIFE.

GALATIANS 5

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness,

23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

BE BLESSED