Enemies on SermonAudio

Jeremiah 49:8 (KJV) Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him. Jeremiah 49:30 (KJV) Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the LORD; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.

We have been talking about Arrows this week in our Revival meeting, and Last night it was the arrows of God in Judgment. Tonight we will see the firey darts of the Devil, and other spiritual powers.

Sunday Service at Sparrow Baptist Church, Toronto

Deuteronomy 25:17-19

The sermon explores the challenges faced by believers during spiritual rebuilding, drawing parallels between Nehemiah's restoration of Jerusalem's walls and the modern Christian experience. It emphasizes that opposition from enemies is inevitable when God's work is underway, but fear should not paralyze faith. The central message urges listeners to reject irrational fear by remembering God's greatness and past faithfulness. Believers are called to combine spiritual trust with practical action, fighting for their families and the church through prayer and obedience. Ultimately, the text highlights that true faith manifests in steadfast devotion to Christ amidst adversity.

Psalm 18 is David's song of love and praise to Yahweh, his rock, fortress, and deliverer, who heard his cry from the cords of death, came in thunderous power to rescue him from Saul and all his enemies because He delighted in him, rewarded his covenant faithfulness, equipped him for victory, and showed steadfast love to His anointed and his offspring forever.

What does it mean to love someone who has wronged us? In Matthew 5:43–48, Jesus moves beyond the command to refuse retaliation and calls His people to something far deeper: active, biblical love for enemies. This sermon examines what that love is, what it is not, and why it cannot depend upon whether the other person deserves it or returns it. Christ directs us to the goodness of our Father, who gives real providential kindness even to the evil and unjust, and then confronts us with the perfect standard of His righteousness. That standard exposes our sin and leaves no room for self-righteousness, but it also drives us to Christ, the One who perfectly loved His enemies and gave Himself to reconcile sinners to God. In Him, believers are justified, and by His Spirit they are progressively transformed to reflect the family resemblance of their Father in heaven before others.

The sermon teaches that God's people should act with wisdom and initiative in light of His promises, while recognizing that even their best plans can be disrupted by the wicked—but God's sovereign plan can never fail. When famine strikes Canaan, Abram wisely goes to Egypt to preserve his household and devises a plan concerning Sarai that he believes will protect their lives and preserve God's promise, yet Pharaoh proves more wicked than Abram anticipated and seizes Sarai without negotiation or consent. Abram's wisdom can take him only so far, but when human plans fail, "the LORD" intervenes, striking Pharaoh's household with plagues, rescuing Sarai, preserving Abram, and ensuring that the promised seed will continue. The episode also foreshadows the later Exodus, when God's people again enter Egypt because of famine, suffer under a wicked ruler, experience God's judgment through plagues, and depart with Egypt's wealth. Ultimately, the sermon points to the cross, where Christ's enemies appeared to triumph, yet even their wicked actions accomplished what God had sovereignly determined beforehand. Our plans may fail and the plans of wicked men may temporarily succeed, but God's plans never fail, and His promises of salvation will always be fulfilled.