Don’t be Lunch

This is for every Christian, it's a role of the dice when the enemy messes with you and you might say, why? Because he understands more than you, the authority and the power that you possess being a son and a daughter of the most high God. The Bible says that all things are subject to the name of Jesus which you have been given access to. Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today. As we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that He has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyc.com, that's citylightnyc.com. Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that He has a real hope and a future for you. You know, this is actually a really beautiful season and it's a funny thing because I laugh about this with people every year. I don't like Christmas decorating. I know, that's like, wait, what? You invite me out to party and decorate and you don't like decorating? It's so funny. I got saved in a Spanish Pentecostal Church and... It's funny because I remember I got there and from what I had seen in the scriptures and what I had seen commercialized about Christmas, I wanted nothing to do with it. But the thing is, as legalistic sometimes as, you know, Pentecostals can be, these people went hard for Jesus and hard for Christmas. Like, I'm talking about full Christmas play, pantomimes and all, like, it was beautiful. And they made me realize something that I was missing in my own legalistic, hard mind. Because here I'm thinking, well, I celebrate Christmas every day. And I was, you know, just, I was feeling a certain pride about it. Like, I don't need this one day. It's just to sell trees and different things like that. And it's not about that. It's the fact that this is a season where people's hearts are warm. They become soft and supple and able to receive better. What fools we would be as Christians if we don't take advantage of this season when everyone's heart is open to peace on earth and goodwill towards men. When it's so funny, out of all the times when people might take an invitation to church is Easter, Mother's Day, and Christmas. People in your personal world right now, their hearts are just ready to hear the gospel and to have their lives transformed. Far be it for me to get in the way of that. Now, it's a rather weird and odd thing because I'm going to give you a side profile about this. You probably never noticed this before. But if you look, God has given me the ears of an elf. I know. You're never going to be able to see me the same after that. I get it. But I got exposed it just so that you can see. Both sides. I have never liked Christmas decorating. And you want to even hear the more terrible part? I am really good at it. One time I was in the church and we're decorating somebody called a snapshot and they sent it to me later and it made me incredibly angry. Because I had a fistful of cotton fake snow and here I am decorating the tree just my new piece of snow covered in glitter. It's okay because it's for purpose. That is my PSA. Make sure you join us tomorrow from 12 to 8 because we will be here decking the halls. An extra shout out to the worry family who is home right now. God has a sense of humor. He gives me the elf ears, gives me a dislike for Christmas and then he gives me an elf for a wife. I have been trying to restrain my wife from putting up the Christmas tree since August. We got in a new house and she was like, man, we could put one right here in the bedroom. I'm working on a project with my son because he's going to be the V.I. King or V.I. Kid. He's a very important kid for the whole week. He gets to do a presentation and bring stuff in like the week is all about him. I'm like, go, son, go. We do a project inside unbeknownst to me. They outside decorating. I said, Jesus, I can't get away from it. I can't get away from it, Lord. Praise God. Amen. God is good. He's doing some amazing things. Make sure you get involved because what you saw happen here today, I'm not going to lie. I feel bad for everybody who has to watch this online right now because I know that the spirit still moves even digitally and you experience the presence and the power of God. But there is something so electric in the room right now. God is here and I am privileged to say that God is here. Hallelujah. So in that vein, I'm going to ask you a question. Are you lunch? I'll ask you, are you lunch? Now, I know some of you are confused because some of you got the nerve to think that you were snack, but that's not what we're talking about. The question is, are you lunch? Are you the type of Christian that the enemy can feed on? They got real spiritual, real fast. First Peter 5.8 says this, be sober, be vigilant because you're adversary that devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he made devour. It's been said that the greatest trick that the enemy ever performed was to get people to believe that he didn't exist. I asked the question, are you lunch? Because many people are being feasted on by the enemy and they don't understand what's happening in their life. They don't even understand that they have an enemy, let alone that they are under attack. And we need to change that. We live in an age where people are just being devastated by the plans and the processes of the enemy and they're taking it, lying down. They're allowing the enemy to take ground in their life over and over again, inch by inch and nobody's fighting back because some people don't even realize they're in a fight. It's funny because this verse is a specific call to spiritual vigilance and self control. The Bible is literally warning us about how active and malicious the devil is. It says be sober and vigilant. We need a clear, well-balanced, self-disciplined mind, free from spiritual intoxication or distraction. It means maintaining a watchful and a cautious attitude towards potential spiritual dangers and temptations rather than getting caught napping. It's funny, I remember my first day in high school. I watched somebody get robbed. Now mind you, because of my birthday is very late in the year so I always started technically late but super early. So I started high school at age 11. I'm from Staten-Law in New York. I'm going to high school in the city, the high school of art and design, two and a half hour ride, 11-year-old by myself and the city just getting it. Went to school, school was whatever it was, the art high school was a bunch of weirdos. Me included. You know, you got your cool kids, you got your uncool kids, I said, okay, probably not going to sit with them, praise god. And then I'm on my way home now because again, this is a long ride home. And there's a pizza shop right next to the train station. And I see this from afar. This little cherub-like chubby-faced kid. Like I can't describe him as anything other than that. It looked like he had no worries ever in his life. Let alone that moment because he had his little personal pan pizza in the box and you know he was going to tear that bad boy up. He just walked out the pizza shop like. And I'm walking towards the train station and I'm seeing all of this. Now, again, Staten-Law in New York. I was raised in an environment where my head is always on a swivel anyway. And even though I was 11, we're talking about an unsaved, unsanctified 11 that had seen some things in life. Am I? Like, started using drugs at the age of 11. Just for context. So I'm walking. And I see this kid come out full of joy. And I see these two older kids. They just descend on him real quick. Give me that. Took his little pizza. And he didn't have a rebuttal other than, hey, that's mine. And in my mind, I'm like, I mean, that's not really convincing argument, right? Probably could have said something differently. I got germs on. Again, and I don't want you to think like this is not a hero story. I didn't run in and save him and go, give him this stuff. This is unsaved pastimo. So I'm watching this from a distance like, hmm, they out here. Yep. Let me slow up this walk real quick to see how this plays out. And it's so funny because it just put me on notice for the capabilities of the people that I went to school with. The worst thing for the Christian to do is not understand that they're in a fight. You know how alarming it is to get hit in the face when you think that you're among friends. Think of the imagery. What was that? There's something very jarring about that, but there are some Christians who go through their life like that. Sometimes believers are in a very bad habit of painting a picture for young believers that is just patently false. We tell them, oh, it's a better rose as Jesus will come and just love you in his person, praise God. Yeah, it's a better rose is it's a beautiful benefits package, but roses have thorns. I'm saying this because I feel like the enemy has been trying to make us lunch. He's been trying to feast on us and eat us. And we've got to put our foot down and understand that this is a fight. The enemy cannot have whatever he wants with you. Jesus made sure of that with his redemptive work on the cross. The thing is if you don't appropriate the authority, the power that is available to you, you will be lunch. Amen, baby. The enemy, the devil, the word adversary used in some translations is actually a legal term suggesting an opponent in a lawsuit or a posing prosecutor. The devil acts as an accuser of people before God, ha satan, the Bible calls him, accuser of the brethren, this from Revelation 1210. He is the merciless enemy of all humanity. The Bible says that he prowls around like a roaring lion. It's a very powerful imagery. It highlights the devil's aggressive nature, strength, rage, and intent to instill fear in chaos. Did you know that a lion's roar can literally paralyze its prey? The roar of a lion alone can be felt from miles around. Notice, I didn't say heard, it can be heard, but it's felt, I learned this, and this is, I got this not from studying the Lion King, I promise. But when lions roar, they actually roar into the ground. We always see the majestic pictures going, they don't actually do that. They actually roar at the ground, and it's felt from miles. It puts all of the prey on notice, I'm coming. And they don't know what to do with themselves. But I do find something interesting that the scripture says. The scripture says that the enemy is like a roaring lion. Meaning he is not actually a lion. See, we serve the true lion, the lion from the tribe of Judah, amen? That's a lion, that's the king of all kings, the Lord of Lords. But the enemy not so much says that he is like a roaring lion. His movements are strategic and relentless like a hungry lion searching for vulnerable victims. And it brings us into this weird thing where you have to understand that there are undevalurable saints and devourable saints. Because the Bible is very clear that he's prowling around roaming to see who he can devour, meaning that there are some that he can't devour. So you've got to ask yourself, what type of Christian am I? Am I lunch? Am I the devil's food? Or am I undevalurable? Because of who's with me, because of who's in me. I want to be so undesirable to the enemy that he frightens every time I walk into the room. I'm going to let you in on a secret. Every time the enemy messes with you, he's rolling the dice. Every single time. I don't care whether it's the measles or a headache or you get some bad news or you lost your job. Whatever it is, every time. All right, Sunday morning. Let's see if this thing works. You might say, well, what does that look like? That looks like... Hey, Mauricio, we skip in church today, right? See, all the second row they all laugh because they notice man ain't skipping nothing. I feel like Mauricio has attended more city light services than I have. And I'm the past there. But it's a role of the dice and here's why. And this is not just from Mauricio or any other. This is for every Christian. It's a role of the dice when the enemy messes with you and you might say, well, why? Because he understands more than you, the authority and the power that you possess being a son and a daughter of the most high god. The Bible says that all things are subject to the name of Jesus which you have been given access to. So every time the enemy comes, whether it's with a cough, whether it's with a headache, whether it's with a fever, you don't realize it because of the advancement of technology in modern society. It's very easy to say, well, I'm just going to drink some therapy. Cherry flavor. Yeah, you could do that. You could just pop a Tylenol and make the headache go away. But notice this, when the enemy comes, you have the right and the ability to tell him you have no portion in me Satan. Get the hen says, the Old Testament, the Old Testament, in the Old English says, get the hen, get the behind me Satan. You have the ability because you have access to the name of Jesus to arrest him in his steps and tell him, bounce money. You can't be here. You have no authority and you have no role here. In the name of Jesus, you must go. How many people are actively and honestly handling their life like that with such care? It's not that you're on a demon hunt because if you know city light church, we're not looking for a demon under every rock. But the scripture is very clear when it says that we're not ignorant of his devices. So we know that the enemy is real and we know that he has plans to devour us and steal our faith. Shipwreck us. What would it look like if every time the enemy came to your door, you punched him in the face? I'm going to tell you about this in my relationships. Anybody who punches me in the face every time I see them, we don't keep relationships anymore. You got about one time to hit me in my face and then talk about before there's an issue of some sort, amen? Look at you all uncomfortable. You've violent today. Yeah. And the violent will take it by force this kingdom. But no, like I need you to understand you're rolling with a loaded gun. Do not let the enemy just come through and trample your house. This is his plan for you by the way. We live in a digital age of distraction. You want to know how I notice his real? My daughter has a routine now. She's not even two yet but she has a routine. She wakes up and she wakes up with the utmost level of joy. I got to get like her because she's just on another level. I'm up. Daddy, hello. Breakfast please. She's my daughter. We give her breakfast as soon as breakfast is done. She has this weird way of just being done before she's done so she just takes her whole plate and just throws the whole thing. I'm ready, done. It's like that's not quite how we doing it, stop throwing food on the floor. But she's like I'm done, done. Hopped out of her chair. She walks up to the TV. Baby shark. It's not even seven o'clock in the morning. Baby shark. She's already inundated with the different media desires. She's not even two. Because the minute people say social media, you think Instagram, Facebook, oh that's just for the teenagers. That's not for me. I'm not caught in a cycle of comparison in the highlight rails. Aren't you though? Half of the motivations in your life, you didn't get from Jesus. Well, you know, I got my five year plan and I got to do this and I got to get this. Listen, I'm not against a five year plan. I'm not against godly ambition, but notice what I said, godly ambition. Who told you to want what you want? I have a sneaking suspicion, it smells a lot like algorithm. Who told you to be mad at the thing that you're mad at? That smells like fresh code to me. You ever talk to somebody and you talk through certain things, even argumentatively and you realize like you're just a talking point for somebody who spoke to you. You don't have any original idea. You don't know why you're truly mad. You were told to be mad and after we get past that one point, you don't know what else to say because they didn't tell you what else to say. That's the age we're living in. So it's not just for the teenagers, it's for us, the young ones. Maybe that. We got to fight, we got to push back against this thing. I'm old enough to remember the age of the traveling salesman who went door to door. I'm the only one, wow. Yeah, they sold encyclopedias and vacuums and all types of stuff. And I get it, today you might think to yourself, the devil's never knocking on my door to sell me stuff except Jehovah's Witnesses. I said that out loud, didn't I? Amen. But back then, the traveling salesmen, they were taught, you just got to get a foot in the door, baby. And we're not talking about the age of steel, steel toe shoes. It's a tongue twist though. But they're like, wow. Sorry, I just want to tell you about this amazing. They're in pain, foot, sprain, broken for the next week, but got a foot in the door. Now the door is not closed, so I can talk to you about this amazing product that will just bless and benefit your life. And they try to get their foot in the door. Because you might say, well, it's not always been like this, but yet it has. Because although the technology is new, the enemy's plans have been the same forever, always getting you to look at what you don't have. He did the same thing in the garden. The God said, you really can't eat? Look at that. His tools are guilt, shame, and condemnation. And there's a fourth one that you don't really hear too much about, distraction. So much of your potential is wasted because you're distracted. The most intimate relationships in your life are stunted because of distraction. Husbands and wives! Yeah, we about to talk about your marriage bed. Hey, don't get weird. Tell me if this picture resonates with you at all. One laying on the left, one laying on the right, both having a glowing rectangle in front of them. Only to have another larger rectangle glowing in front of them, so we got two phones and a TV on. Let's not even talk about the iPad that's charging. And you're so close together physically, but you're miles away emotionally. Listen, I've been there. I'm married. Every now and again, you got to recalibrate to make sure that you're not losing the person that's so close to you. Because you're distracted, because you're disconnected. Because again, like I said, this has been happening from day one. You go fast forward a little bit, but backwards for us. Oh my God, did you see how corset it was four inches. My corset is seven inches. I'm such a fat pig. Could someone just tie it a little tighter for me? The comparison game has been there because, again, the enemy wants you to feel a certain way that what you have is not enough. So that you would cover it and want something new. Yeah, you're going to be thinking about that four inch corset. Yeah, suck it in. Listen, I understand social media. Listen, my social media is cultivated with hours of preparation and highlight reels to make it look like this amazing thing. I don't use it anymore, though, because I'm done with that life. Now, you feel judged and condemned because you still have social media and you use it. Use it with proper purpose. These are tools given by God and human wisdom, right? Just like, I'm not scared of AI. AI is another tool to be used that will either bless the church or hurt the church based on in whose hands they are. Listen, there's a boom coming. Will we take advantage of it? That's based on the person, the individual. But just know this. The enemy's after you. He wants into your house. He wants into your life. He wants into your relationships and he wants the worst for you. Please don't be under this misconception that everything is all sweet and you're not in the fight because the first time you get hit, you're going to blame God thinking that he never told you. You get Christians all the time standing on. You know, the weapon formed against me will prosper, Jesus. Well, I've been struck. And the problem is, if you really think about what the verse says, it says, no weapon formed against you would win. It never said that it wouldn't form. He said, you're in this world, not of this world. Wait, wait, what, you leave him here? I'm in, I'm in it. Oh, yeah, yeah, not one of the Christians. Listen, I ain't going to lie to you. When I first got saved, I thought Jesus was coming back in two weeks. I was reading a book of Revelation, like, is lit, we out! Two weeks came and went and I was like, Lord, you're tired, ain't you? And the first year I went by and the Lord was like, you understand now, I was like, I guess. The weapon forms, but it can't prosper. If you prepare yourself with that understanding, you won't be so easily moved off your anchor point of peace. Hallelujah. So again, he's seeking someone to devour. The ultimate goal of the devil is the spiritual destruction of believers to, quote unquote, consume or swallow them up. He wants to swallow up our faith, our witness, our families, our churches. The simple yet powerful truth that we can extract from this verses that there are undevariable saints and devourable saints. He's roaming about looking because he doesn't have the ability to just grab anyone that he wants, because that would truly be his wicked heart's desire for every last one of us. So again, don't be lunch. Say it with me, I am not the devil's food. The devil's food. So it does lead to a very interesting question. How do I stay undevariable? I'm glad that you asked. Because it's right there in Scripture. Context is king if you didn't know. So often people can be misled even from the delicious succulent truths of the Bible because things are taken out of context and warped to make you believe something that the Bible is not actually saying. So this is why you've got to use context, meaning I'm going to read what happens before. I'm going to read the actual verse and I'm going to read what's coming after so that I don't get conned. Context. The verse before it hits us with an exhortation. Now, exhortation is just a fancy word that means pointing the way forward. It's an exhortation towards humility and casting our anxieties on God. Verse Peter 6 says this. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time casting all your care upon him for he cares for you. And you might say, because, and I get it, immediately you hear that and you think a different connotation because humility has been twisted to me in a lot of things. Humility is not in the posture of how you walk. Humility is not in the decibel of how low you speak or how high you speak. Biblical humility? Biblically speaking? Because the Bible says that Moses was the most humble man on the planet. Which is only interesting because historically Moses probably wrote that book. But what it really means, though, is that his dependence level was so desperate and high because it was on God. But look what the Scripture says. You can put that Scripture back up. Humble yourselves, meaning depend on the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. Do me a favor, stand up for a second. Now listen, we're about to use you as an example of being the mighty hand of God. Don't get a big head. This Scripture is telling us humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. I can't. I can't. You better use your strength. Not to have me knock you over. We talked about that. But what God is asking you for is that you would get up under the mighty hand of God. So how do you remain undevariable? Not by leaning on yourself. Not by having a pious attitude and posture before the Lord. No, but truly depending on him, I cannot go and do what you want me to do without you. Be my strength. Be my help. Be my support. Philippians 4, 6 and 7. This is actually my favorite Scripture. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, present your request to God and the peace of God. You got to present it with Thanksgiving. There's this whole element of faith where when I'm anxious, I'm going to pray and in the midst of my prayer, by faith, I'm going to thank God for the resolution to my prayer. And the Bible says that when you do this, the peace of God which transcends understanding, that means that it is light years above understanding. If you would just grab hold of that right there, it would settle your heart some. God is trying to tell you, you know what's better than you figuring out this gordian knot that is your life? Having peace that I will. Oh my God, I just want to know what to do, chill. The best thing for me is when God says chill. Because when God says chill, I'm good. I already know he got it. It's one thing when you tell an invalid or an invalid tells you chill, I got it. I don't think you're going to get up on the roof and do what I need you to do. You don't got it. See that's called dark humor guys, you're going to have to... Yeah, yeah. See the Lord's still working on me? Yeah, yeah. Somebody in my life group asked me, they said, what's dark humor? I was like, well... Just think you got a grandfather in his son or his grandson. And the grandson says, granddad, what's dark humor? So he goes, you see that guy over there stealing the candy from a baby? And the little boy goes, granddad, I'm blind. He said exactly. Yep, he's good, he's good. Be sober, be vigilant. First Peter, five, eight and nine. No, hold on, hold on, before we go any further. The reason I read you, Philippians, is because that is going to help you. In the age when we're living and when everything is meant to rob you of peace and make you compare yourself and look down on yourself, he gives you the recipe and says, trust in me and I'll give you peace and I'll handle it for you. It's not that he doesn't want you to be ambitious. It's not that he doesn't want you to have goals and dreams and a work ethic. He wants you to have all of those things. Matter of fact, I feel like Christians should be excelling in every single area of life. We are a peculiar people of royal priesthood. We have the favor of God on us, the spirit of the living God inside of us. In Jesus, ever living to intercede for us at the right hand of the Father. Success is bred into who we are. If you're not succeeding, I'm telling you you're not holding on to Jesus the right way. And if you're not having fun in your Christianity, I guarantee you you're doing it wrong. So we're meant to excel. I'm not saying that you're not meant to excel. I'm not saying that you're not meant to plan and exercise wisdom and have ambition. But I am saying there is a point when you have to lay down some of your own thoughts and desires and ask God for what He wants. I had a game plan for what I thought my life was going to be. And Jesus wrecked it in the most beautiful way. Gave me more than I thought that I ever could have. That is not happening through my own human effort. That's happening through the providence and the mercy of God. Verse 5, verse 8 says, be sober, be vigilant. Because your adversary that devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he made devour. Resist him steadfast in the faith knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. So in an age of social media where everything is striving to steal my attention, my focus and my faith, how exactly do I resist the devil? The Bible gives us the answer as well, thank God. James 4.7 says this, therefore submit to God, resist the devil and He will flee from you. See, happy right now, you are upset. And I know you are upset because sometimes I have conversations with people. The other half that I haven't had conversations with, I'm human, so I understand this. The submit to God part, man. Man! Only the perfect saints right now looking at me like, what's the problem? Yeah, I'm not one of those. Sometimes God says, do this and I'll be like, no! So I get bumped on the head and go, oh! You meant here, got it? You know, I love God because He is a perfect father. When He holds out the umbrella of safety and grace and He says, stay within the bounds that I've given you and you will be well. All will be well with your soul. We have this tendency to just scamper and scamper out of that will and then get upset when things that should be protected from in the umbrella of His grace. When we're outside of that and we get bombarded by these things, oh! God, why don't you do that? God is like, I didn't do nothing. You better put some respect on my name and go back to the umbrella. Safety. Oh, I'm the only one. Submit to God! It's not your idea of Christianity. Because you know, I'm spiritual. I don't need to be all up in the house of the Lord like that. I know the Lord and the Lord know me. He said, do not forsake the gathering together of the saints or somewhere in the habit of doing. What do you do with that? I remember one time my barber was cutting my hair and the Lord was like, asking the question. I was like, look, he has sharp razors near my head and he's only like 25% done. Ask him. So I said, barber, I have a question for you because we're both believers here. I said, what do you do when the Bible clearly says something? And you find that your life is not in alignment with the thing that the Bible says. I said, for me, it feels like my phone starts going off. You know that annoying, loud alarm there. It's almost like it won't go off until I do something with it. And trust me, like I've sat on it. And then it's just shaking me and I put him up. It's like, ah! And I have to submit to the thing that God is asking me to do eventually because what he has planned is always best. So I just have a question because you're a believer that I trust because of your confession of faith that you say you're a believer. And I find that the fruit of your life doesn't match the things that you say. Doesn't match the things that he wants for you. So I know what it's like for me. What is it like for you? Let's just say my hair is long for a reason. That was probably the last time he cut my hair. Submitting to God today, sometimes we, as Christians, we believe that, well, I'm going to just do Christianity my way. There is no my way. It's Yahweh. It's God's way. We don't like the sound of that because we live in a very egalitarian and democratized system of thought. Yeah, well, we got a king though. Yeah, we just elected a new man and everybody feels the way that they feel about. But we have a king who we submit to. And he gives us the rule for our life. I don't go to prostitution dens and use cocaine. That's not a part of God's plan for my life. Thank you, Jesus. There are other people in the room going, that's okay. God will help you because here's the thing. God has never asked you to submit to something that he won't empower you towards. When God asks the young teenager to stop having sex, he gives them the grace for celibacy. When I got saved, I told you, I started using drugs at the age of 11. I didn't get saved at 22. I had a lot of years of bad things and when God came, he took it like that. Now, I know that that is not the story. I worked at a substance abuse counseling center, so I know that that is not the story for the vast majority of humans on this planet who are in the throes of addiction. But what I'm saying is we serve a God who is able. If you would be willing to submit and do the thing that he asked, he will give you the empowerment to be. Listen, there's a lot of different things that I look at in my life today that I had no capacity for. To be a husband, a father, a friend, a leader. But God's mercy has done such an upgrade on the inside what you're looking at as a living miracle of mercy. And that can be you if you would be willing to submit to the things that he says he wants for you. Now, let's get real granular. You know God already said that relationship is not for you, but you holding on. You better drop that sucker like a bad habit. We don't like hearing stuff like that. We don't like being called upward. I want you to stop stealing and get a normal job. I can think about it. Literally that's what you're doing. It's amazing. Humans are the only thing in this creation that they balk at a command from the one and holy God of heaven. You look at all of creation and they fall in line. He tells the wave, don't go past here. I'm getting close, but I'm not going past. He tells the birds worship. He tells the trees who's worthy of the praise. And he says to humans, believe Jesus and trust me for the rest. Really? If you know that somebody's powerful, absolutely loaded and has nothing but your best interest in mind and heart to give you the absolute best, why wouldn't you want to listen to that person? Because we're not talking about a person, we're talking about the person. You see, the enemy wants to make you food and the only way to stay in edible is to humble yourself to dependence on Christ. Notice, I didn't say performance because it's weird how we always get it twisted that says, I need to be a better Christian. That's how I can submit. I'm going to pray more. I'm going to attend church more like Mauricio and I'm going to be there. You just watch. It's like you've missed it already. I don't want your attendance. God wants your heart. See, all the good things that happen, the byproduct of holiness and righteousness, it's a byproduct. I get to do these things. I get to come to church. I get to lift my hands. I get to obey because of the mercy that he gave us through the blood of Jesus. So depend on him. He will make you holy. He did it for me. I told you to dark humor jokes today from the Pope it. I think that's testimony enough that God is doing a work. He ain't done. I got under construction signs everywhere. You just don't see them. That's how gracious he is. Let's all decide right now that the enemy has nothing good for us and be done with him. I'll tell a poignant story and the worship team you guys can come on up. So there was a homeowner and after many years they found what they would consider their dream home. They wanted to settle down and be with their family. The type of situation where they would give to their kids because this is truly it. One day a buyer comes knocking and the buyer is like, man, this would be my dream home. The guy is like, I know it's our dream home and where it's not for sale in any capacity. But as anybody who works in real estate knows persistence does a heck of a job. So the buyer kept reaching out consistently, persistently sending emails, sending just everything. And he didn't try to snake him either. Well, technically he did because he even tried by other names, by other faces, to get the property. Try to snake him. He said, oh, it's not me. It's Count Dracula. Presistently reaching form, reaching form, reaching form, reaching form, reaching form. And the buyer goes, you know what? I respect the fact that you don't want to sell. But could we just have one sit down meet in and I could propose a deal for you? Not to buy your home because I already know that's not for sale. It's all limits. But would you be willing to meet with me? So the homeowner is like, you know what? Just as a final cause of the door. Yeah, I'll meet with you just so you, just so the guy understands that I don't, I don't want no parts of this. The buyer was looking at his chops. Foot in the door. Because that's all he really wanted. He just wanted a foot in the door. So he gets there. He's marveling at the inside of the house. He's like, man, I can understand why you don't want to sell this place. It is gorgeous. But I do have a proposition for you. Homeowner goes, I told you, I'm not selling. He said, I'm not here to buy. I do have a proposition though. What would you say if I offered you $200,000 for one square inch of this home? It's like, what? What are you talking about? You can't be serious. The buyer pulls out a check. I'm that serious. So homeowner is like, I'm the best businessman in the world. Sky must be crazy. Takes the check. Because in his mind, crazy money is still money. Wheat goes by. No ill effects. Month goes by. No ill effects. Few months go by and we get a call from the buyer. He says, hey, I want to come check on my property. I got some construction to do. Construction. You got one square inch. What construction could you possibly do on one square inch? It's my square inch. I will do with it what I will. I bought it. It's mine. So the buyer comes in and he has one square inch and he takes a nail puts it into his one square inch and he leaves. And he comes back. And he hangs something on his nail on his one square inch. And within a week, the homeowner is now reaching out to the buyer. What have you done? Because what the homeowner did know is that what he hung on his nail on his one square inch of property was a dead carcass. And within days, the decay and the smell alone made the home inhabitable until eventually the whole house was ruined. A place of death and decay. The first time I heard this story, it made me immediately think of that scripture because the enemy, all he really wants is just the foothold. He only wants a little bit. He never tells you, hey, do this thing so it can destroy your life. He never comes that way. What he says is just a little bit. I was going to make a bad joke. Just put the tip in, no. But that's how it starts for some people. Oh, we don't do those type of things. We'll just come and look. Don't go. How about this? Be careful what you let in your eargate and your eyegate. Be careful what you watch and what you listen to. You are actively creating a path for the enemy to put a foot down into your life. Whether it's the laziness of how you handle your finances. Or you watching things that lead your leave you open to the temptation of the enemy. The enemy wants in. And he knows that eventually some of us will get tired when he keeps rolling the dice every day. I mean, think about it. He did it to the very son of God. The Bible says that even after the wilderness, he left for a time. The enemy is going to keep coming back and keep trying to make you lunch, but you need to hold on the God. You need to depend on him. You need to cast your care on him. Throw your anxieties on the Lord. Not have to compare yourself, but appreciate the lane that he's giving you that is yours alone. Resist. You know, when you resist the part of the reason that he flees is because he sees God in you. Jesus is amazing because the Bible says that he was tempted and all points and yet found without sin. We don't truly know the strength of temptation because we give in. Jesus felt the full weight of every temptation and resisted and held strong. And when you start to resist and you're holding on to God, the enemy flees because it's just like Jesus. It's like I was only looking at Matt. He started looking like Jesus. So will you join me? Can we start the resistance? We're going to resist the pull of distraction. We're going to resist the temptation for destruction, mindless scrolling. Like you understand, this is active and beautiful and fresh. My wife and I, we've made a commitment. No phones in bed. There will be no double doom scrolling. You're going to talk to me. I'm going to close by reading you something for context. Be careful what you allow into your house. Be sober. First, Peter 5, 8 to 11. Says, be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he made devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after you have suffered a while, perfect you, establish you, strengthen you and settle you. To him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. God is good church. I feel good about where we're going. Hallelujah, I feel victory stirring in this place. Hallelujah! Yeah. We're going to resist. We're going to submit to God and watch Him flee because we are not lunch. We might be a snack, but we ain't lunch. Before we stand to worship through song, we're going to receive our weekly tides and offerings. The giving information will be on the screen to my left and right. Hallelujah! The reason that some of them are clapping is because they understand that this is just as much worship as the songs that we sung or the word of God that was preached. When you give what you're really doing is you're saying that God, you have the pre-eminence in my life that I'm not beholden to things or stuff or resources. You are everything. Here at City Light Church, we believe in the tithe. We believe that that tithe, that tent that represents the whole, as you give that to God. The rest is holy, amen. But I had a beautiful moment. I remember I was very young in the Lord. I was like 22 in my original pastor, Robert Seda. He taught me about the tithe. And he said, you know, the offering is between you and God. I said, wait, I got to do more than the tithe. He taught me about the tithe and then I felt the Lord leading me like, hey, why don't you throw some extra on it? And I remember going, could you please speak more clearly into the microphone? But then I understood what the Lord was trying to do. He was breaking me free from a poverty mindset where everything was all about what I could get. Because if you have that mindset, you will never release things. You will never give into your own future because it's, hey, I got to keep every deal. You literally holding your money so tight the president is bleeding. But no, give as worship, give to give him the highest level in your life. Because if you look at all of the New Testament, it's impossible to read the New Testament and not be moved by the radical generosity that it calls us to. The tithe is literally the floor. We are called to radical generosity as Christians. So just know that like as you give, give as worship, give to honor God. Now we have the first fruits end of year campaign going on right now. Our goal is 100,000. Now week one was crazy. We had two individuals that were like, man, I'm a do my part. And it's so funny because the pastoral staff, we look at that and go, man, those two people are sincerely blessed. And we just pray that you guys understand that you wouldn't let them have all the fun. Because the thing is we want to break the poverty mindset because it's like that friend that whenever you go out, you know you're going to cover the bill and they're completely okay with it. You should have a problem with that if you were that friend. The Bible said it's more blessed to give than to receive. You should have the heart that says, I want to be a fountain that God uses to bless and to pour out onto people. Not just, you know, a moocher who says, is there more? Amen? Or out? So let's see what the Lord has done for this week. Bang! Hallelujah. So this is tremendous because this is literally week two of our year end giving campaign of first fruits. Our goal is 100,000 before the end of the year and we still have a good four weeks left. But this is tremendous. Again, I would say this, don't let something like be greedy for yourself. Don't let somebody else take all of the blessing. And I mean that sincerely, like grab appropriate this by faith. Get with God and ask Him, what would you have me give? Because you're not going to hear from the pulpit, give this amount, give this amount. I've seen that done in other churches and it's nothing less than emotional manipulation. We don't do that here. My very simple request is this, ask God what He would have you give and then submit. See how that works? And in submitting, resisted. All right. But praise God, let's put our hands together for what the Lord is doing. You can put the giving info back up on the screen. To my right and my left, praise God. You can point your smartphone at the QR code that will take you to our safe and secure giving landing page. Also, if you came prepared to give a physical gift, we have offering boxes by the doors. You can give to that or you can go online at citylightnyc.com slash give. But again, give not to a man, not to an organization, but as worship, amen? All right. So we're going to continue to worship the Lord through song. If you want ministry, our ministry team has been trained to release the presence and the power of God into your life. You can meet them into my left, your right, in the blue lit area. But go with blessings this week and truly, I want you to resist the enemy. And I want you to find a greater grace in submitting and humbling yourself before the mighty hand of God. Amen? Stand to your features. Let's sing to the Lord. Those who want ministry, please go receive some. God bless. This is the citylight church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik in citylight church, visit us at citylightnyc.com. That's citylightnyc.com. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today. That you have been reminded how much God loves you. And that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to citylight church podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide. You