Enemies on SermonAudio

In "Jonah: Mad That It Worked," Charles Sebold continues the Sunday evening series through the Minor Prophets with the book of Jonah. Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah set the stage; Jonah asks what happens when God shows mercy to His people's own destroyer, and His prophet cannot bear it. Keeping a running scorecard, the lesson shows that everything in the book obeys God: the wind, the sea, the pagan sailors, the great fish, the repentant king of Nineveh, even the cattle in sackcloth, the plant, the worm, and the east wind. The lone holdout is God's own spokesman, who flees downhill to Joppa and Tarshish. From the belly of the fish Jonah's psalm confesses the truth at the heart of Reformed faith: "Salvation belongs to the Lord." A five-word warning is enough for Nineveh to repent, because God's Word is powerful, and God does not change His mind but graciously recognizes the repentance He Himself produced. Yet Jonah is furious, quoting the creed of Exodus 34 as a complaint: he fled because he knew God is gracious, merciful, and relents from disaster. God's closing question, whether He should not pity Nineveh, confronts every believer who quietly hopes certain enemies never reach heaven. Grace for ourselves can seem obvious and grace for our enemies outrageous, but no one's sin overwhelms God. The lesson closes with Christ, the One greater than Jonah, who slept through a storm, went down in obedience, rose after three days, and sends His people gladly to the nations, as Peter learned at Joppa when the gospel opened to the Gentiles.

Dan 4:19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. Dan 4:20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; Dan 4:21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: Dan 4:22 It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. Dan 4:23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him; Dan 4:24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: Dan 4:25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

Pastor Grant Castleberry preaches "Know The Schemes of Your Enemy" from Ephesians 6:10-20 at The Lord's Day Service at The King's Chapel, Sunday, October 25th, 2026. CONNECT WITH THE KING'S CHAPEL Website | https://www.thekingschapel.com Facebook | / thekingschapelnc Instagram | / thekingschapelnc Twitter/X | https://x.com/kingschapelnc VISIT THE KING'S CHAPEL Join us in Raleigh, NC: 400 Newton Rd., Raleigh, NC 27615 (919) 573-5454 Sunday Life Groups: 9:00 AM Sunday Worship: 10:30 AM Wednesday Discipleship (all ages): 6:00 PM Plan your visit: https://www.thekingschapel.com/plan-your-visit WHAT WE BELIEVE Read our full doctrinal statement: https://www.thekingschapel.com/doctrinalstatement AFFILIATED MINISTRIES Unashamed Truth Ministries | Grant Castleberry Bold, biblically grounded teaching on doctrine and Christian conviction. https://unashamedtruth.org Hymns of Grace | Philip Webb, Worship Pastor Exalting Christ through hymns that meld beautiful melodies with eternal, gospel-centered truth. / @hymnsofgrace Logic on Fire | 2027 Conference Calling pastors back to expository preaching, sound doctrine, biblical worship, and gracious fellowship. https://www.logiconfire.com/

After the Sermon in the Sack (the object lesson for the children) the Lord impressed me to continue along that topic using insights from my days as a police officer, particularly the bullet resistant vest I wore and it's relationship to the breastplate of righteousness in the Armor of God. I remind the listeners that it is His might that empowers us, that we must be aware of our adversary who is seeking ways to destroy us. But God has given us equipment to stand and defend ourselves when the enemy attacks. These are no offensive weapons, but defensive and mean that we will likely see close-in spiritual combat. I also reminded everyone that those who are unsaved are defenseless. Properly equipped from the Lord, we are to (1) put on the armor, (2) stand, (3) pray, and (4) fellowship with one another.

This sermon examines the inevitability of hostility toward believers, rooted in their identification with Christ rather than the world. It outlines four key themes from John 15: hatred, persecution, culpability, and witness, arguing that the world's rejection of Christians mirrors its prior rejection of Jesus. The text emphasizes that while believers face increasing cultural antagonism, this response is expected and serves as a testament to their allegiance to the rightful King. The message calls for a posture of faithful witness and love toward enemies, trusting in God's sovereignty and the ultimate return of Christ.

Generational Warfare Taking Every Thought Captive, Tearing Down Strongholds, and Preparing the Next Generation to Walk with Jesus Primary Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:1–6 This message emphasizes the spiritual responsibility of believers, particularly parents and grandparents, to prepare the next generation to recognize truth, resist deception, and walk faithfully with Jesus. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 10:1–6, it reveals that our warfare is not against people but against the lies, false reasoning, and fortified patterns of thinking that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. The weapons of this warfare are not fleshly but mighty through God, enabling His people to tear down strongholds and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. The message begins by highlighting the power of songs of deliverance, those testimonies of God's faithfulness that remind others of what He has brought His people to, through, and beyond. Through Psalm 32:7, Psalm 142:7, and Psalm 8:2, we discover how praise strengthens believers, confronts the enemy's accusations, and encourages others to see God's greatness beyond their immediate circumstances. These testimonies become a spiritual inheritance that strengthens future generations. The sermon then examines the enemy's strategy of deception, illustrated through Adam and Eve in the garden, the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, and the serpents in Numbers 21. While the enemy seeks to undermine confidence in God's Word, Jesus demonstrates that victory is found through trusting and obeying what God has spoken. Just as the Israelites were instructed to look upon the bronze serpent and live, we must continually look

God has given us this passage to highlight how precious in his sight are his sheep, his people. Because they are so precious, and because enemies sneak in to bring false teaching (that first sounds good), he has appointed men to keep watch on the sheep. In our day, that role is seen as unnecessary and even unkind. Christ would not agree — though wolves certainly would! Shepherds are to take their orders from Christ — and also their example from Him. He alone is the good Shepherd — and he purchased his flock with his own blood. May the Lord use this passage to shape your church in greater and greater appreciation for who He is and what He has done — that you might treasure that more diligently and joyfully. May he use this text to call men to offer this kind of selfless service, and to create a stronger desire for it within the church.

Psalms 42–43 portray a downcast soul that thirsts for the living God amid tears, enemies' taunts ("Where is your God?"), and a sense of abandonment, yet repeatedly commands itself to hope in Him because it will yet praise Him as its salvation and help. These two psalms function as a single literary unit (one psalm in some Hebrew manuscripts), structured in three stanzas that each close with the same refrain (Ps 42:5, 11; 43:5). The psalmist moves from intense longing and lament to a petition for God's light and truth to restore him to worship, all while refusing to let despair have the final word.