Luke 11:4
deliver us from the evil one
 
Many of us are unaware of where when we are sitting at the table of good and evil…
 
Many of us have been convinced of some terrible things at the table of good and evil over the years…
 
Many of us have been used by the enemy to harm others at the table of good and evil and sadly some of us still are…
 
The issue is ignorance…
 
Many of us have no idea the battle we are involved in and the competing forces that are trying very strategically to invade our lives…
 
We take casualties in our marriages and children and friendships all the time…
 
Hosea 4:6
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
 
Our ignorance and predisposition to be drawn to darkness are a deadly combination…
 
John 3:19-20
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
 
So we sit at a table and we are drawn to certain seats and views and items on the menu…
 
Revelation 12:3-12
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
 
1/3 of the host of heaven were cast out with the devil and now they are trying to invade every life they can and they do it without remorse knowing their time is short…
 
Luke 11:14-20
14 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. 15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."16 Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
 
1.  Mute
 
The devil & his demons want to invade you and begin to keep you from letting love in or out and even speaking on your own behalf…
 
The Lord is telling us that we must choose a side because a house divided cannot stand…
 
When a Christian begins to allow the enemy to invade a fall is coming and likewise when someone who has been under the rule of satan begins to allow Jesus into their life the kingdom of darkness will not be able to stand…
 
But at some point you will be "all in all the time" with one side or the other…
 
Luke 22:1-7
1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude. 7 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.
 
2.  Possession
 
1 Timothy 6:10
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
 
Judas’ heart and mind were never committed to Christ and allowed him to be invaded and possessed…
 
On Wednesday night in our bible study we looked at the difference between Peter who failed when tempted by the devil through fear and Judas who failed when tempted by the devil through greed…
 
The heart and mind of Peter that belonged to Jesus could not be invaded or possessed and eventually he was restored but the heart and mind of Judas that did not belong to Jesus was invaded and possessed and eventually it led to his horrific death…
 
John 10:10-11
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
 
See the enemy wants to “POSSES” you in order to steal, kill, and destroy but the Lord wants to “FILL” you in order to give you life…
 
Luke 11:24-26
24 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' 25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."
 
We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and we cannot give the devil an inch…
 
When the devil and his demons come looking if there is a nice clean place for more of them to crash there needs to be a sign that says “NO VACANCIES” all rooms have been taken by the Spirit of God…
 
Colossians 1:13
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love
 
Luke 10:17-19
17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
 
As we look at this week and Halloween we have to remember that while we have harvest festivals and cool costumes the enemy knows he has a huge open door into the hearts and minds of unsuspecting people…
 
This is true year round but lets open our eyes and see how much more so during this season…
 
Ecclessiasgtes 3:1-8
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
 
It’s a time of war and we need to fight against the enemy invasion!…
 
We need to pray for our defenses to be up against the enemy and our gates to open to our allies the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?…
 
I don’t want to lose anymore people I care about to the enemy…
 
I want to go into his territory and rescue those who are possessed and invaded and don’t even know it…
 
Psalm 23:1-6
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
 
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me
 
Is He with you this morning?…
 
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
 
Who has prepared the table you sit at?… Is it a table prepared by the Lord that even in the presence of your enemies you remain safe and uninvaded?…

On Wednesday night in our Matthew Bible Study we looked at Peter’s denial of Jesus and on his third denial listen to what is said…
 
Matthew 26:73-74
73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you." 74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed.
 
We focused more on Wednesday night about what we are looking at this morning…
 
Not that Peter failed and denied but what the world had to say about Peter…
 
In Verse 73 the world says to Peter… "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”…
 
The way that Peter actually spoke showed the world that He was a follower of Christ…
 
You can talk like a Christian but be limited because your heart and mind haven’t truly been invaded by the living God or you can talk like a Christian because the Lord has come in and done some miraculous work within you…
 
Jeremiah 31:33
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
 
Luke 6:45
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
 
Romans 12:2
do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind
 
So lets look first at the mind…
 
In 2 Timothy 1:12 Paul says…
I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him
 
So we believe in Jesus and what we commit to Him is our lives both earthly and eternally but listen to what Paul actually says…
 
I KNOW whom I have believed… and I AM PERSUADED that He is able…
 
Paul declares that his mind has been invaded… to “know” and to be “persuaded” are actions of the mind…
 
Now lets look at the heart…
 
In Acts 13:22 God says…
I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.

Ezekiel 36:26
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
 
2 Corinthians 3:3-4
3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God.
 
Written not with ink on tablets of stone but by the Spirit of the living God on the tablet of flesh that is the heart…
 
The key here also though is what it produces in Verse 4 is “Trust”… Verse 4 says… we have such trust through Christ toward God…
 
We see the heart as the emotional center of our lives which it is but those emotions are determined by one thing and one thing alone… Our trust in God…
 
Hebrews 2:13-15
13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me." 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
 
Death is the result of not putting our “trust” in Jesus to give us eternal life…
 
If we won’t put our trust in Jesus we remain bound by fear…
 
Fear is the root of all detrimental emotions which lead to detrimental actions which lead to dark hardened hearts…
 
I want look at a man who we can see that God had “Invaded” his Heart & Mind…
 
We can see how what he came to “KNOW” in his mind about Jesus affected his life…
 
We can also see how his “HEART” had been transformed and he now had the heart of God…
 
Acts 6:1-8
1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. 8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
 
We are going to look at the end of this man Stephen’s life…
 
Acts 6:9-14
9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. 13 They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
 
This is exactly what we saw in our bible study Wednesday night in Matthew 26…
 
False witnesses and the accusation of blasphemy…
 
Acts 7:1-3
1 Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?" 2 And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3 and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.
 
Stephen proceeds to tell the whole testimony of the work of God from memory starting here with Abraham and finishing with the death of Jesus in Acts 7:52 as he says to them… you now have become the betrayers and murderers…
 
And this is where we see the culmination of the impact of “The Invasion of the Heart & Mind” in the life of a believer…
 
Acts 7:54-60
54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
 
Verse 59 says… 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”…
 
The knowledge of God and who He is transcends the experiences Stephen was going through as a man…
 
In 2 Timothy 1:12
I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him
 
And we also see the trust of a heart that has been invaded by God as he says “receive my spirit”……
 
Verse 60 says… 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep…
 
We can see that this is not the heart of a mere man but the heart of God within a man…
 
Luke 6:45
out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
 
Stephen speaks the exact words that Jesus spoke because Jesus had invaded his heart…
 
Luke 23:34
34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." 
 
Oh Lord invade our hearts and minds and give us Yours…

​How many of you struggle when people invade your personal space or privacy???
 
This is about when your personal space and privacy is invaded by God…
 
How does God invade your privacy before you're saved?...
 
He does it through CONVICTION... 
 
John 16:7-11
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
 
The Holy Spirit comes uninvited and “Invades People’s Privacy” and He says “THE WAY YOU ARE LIVING IS WRONG AND JESUS CAN SAVE YOU AND HELP YOU!!!”…
 
Before we know Jesus He invades our thoughts, our actions, and our pride…
 
John 1:43-51
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
 
Nathaniel had his private thoughts invaded…
 
In Verse 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”…
 
When no one is around and you are just thinking about things and life whether they are good or bad please believe me that the Lord will invade your privacy and begin to speak to you about your private thoughts in attempt to call you to Himself…
 
The thought life is so important both before and after salvation but when we begin to see God invade our thoughts we are awakened to the reality of an all powerful God who created our consciousness and can also invade it…
 
In John 4:13-18 Jesus meets a woman who had gone out to draw water from a well…
13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." 16Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
 
The woman at well had her private actions invaded by the Lord…
 
Again the conviction of God before we know Him is so strong and He will invade our privacy time and time again and put our business out there until we respond appropriately…
 
This is a good time to remind you of the difference between Conviction and Condemnation…
 
We all say before we know God that people should stop judging us and condemning us…
 
Conviction comes from the Spirit of God and condemnation is the just reward of our actions…
 
People don’t condemn us and when we are judged it doesn’t condemn us…
 
Your own heart and mind and actions condemn you…
 
John 3:16-20
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
 
So Jesus invaded the woman at the wells privacy not to condemn her but to convict her of her sin which had already condemned her to death and hell unless she she was willing to give her life to Him and be forgiven…
 
Many of us before we came to Jesus thought we had private actions but there is no such thing with God…
 
So Nathanael was the invasion of the private thoughts and this woman showed us the invasion of the private actions and now lets look at the invasion of pride…
 
Luke 18:18-27
18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' " 21 And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
 
This rich young ruler had his private pride invaded…
 
He had built up is worth and value and identity upon what he had and when Jesus invaded private pride and brought conviction he was forced to make a decision…
 
I remember before knowing the Lord there were so many areas of my life that I just said “this is who I am and it took a lot for me to get here and I know it aint the best but its me”…
 
It can be hard to see because you aren’t saying you are better than others but it is still pride because ultimately we are saying we know better than God and He invades our private pride and brings conviction…
 
So how does God invade your privacy after you're saved?
 
While there is still conviction in the life of the believer the primary invasion the Lord seeks to accomplish is through “INTIMACY”…
 
John 20:19-22
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
 
Revelation says that before we are saved He stands at the door of our lives and knocks and we are CONVICTED knowing its Him out there and we don’t open the door…
 
Once you are saved He just comes on in like He owns the place even when you try to lock the door to keep the enemies out…
 
Luke 24:13-20
13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. 17 And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" 18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" 19 And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 
 
Jesus invaded a private conversation and began to invade their thoughts as the conversation goes on to say because they were His already and He wanted more intimacy with them…
 
3 things I want you to remember…
 
1. Conviction is a gift from God
 
This is how you know there is still hope for you if there is conviction and remorse...
 
Be careful though because if you don't let the Lord invade your privacy you will eventually be void of conviction and lost forever...
 
Romans 1:28
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting
 
2.  Jesus is not interested in a casual relationship or relationship with limitations
 
If you are His there is no such thing as privacy or limitations.... He is going to be all up in your business...
 
What do you mean why did I show up at your job?... 
 
What do you mean why did I check your phone and log into see every call and text for the last 90 days?... 
 
What do you mean why did I check every withdrawal and transaction?...
 
What do you mean why did I bring the kids to eat next door to restaurant you were having girls night out at?...
 
What do you mean why did I show up to get take out from the Buffalo Wild Wings you and your boys were watching Thursday night football at?... 
 
We've turned our hatred of our invasion of privacy into a trust issue that we can flip back on other people but we can't play that game with God...
 
He knows your thoughts and your actions and your pride and He is perfect so you can't convince Him that there is something wrong with Him for always showing up...
 
In our relationships I believe in showing up because that is the model Jesus gives us...
 
The world says clingy but the word says united...
 
The world says hovering but the word says stewardship...
 
The world says untrustworthy but the word says wise concerning our enemy....
 
I'm in a place where I love my wife and children to invade my privacy...
 
I don't want to be anywhere or say anything that they can't be around for...
 
When we really get there with God we see why He isn't interested in a relationship with limitations...
 
What you lose doesn't compare to what you gain...
 
When you show up at a party and everyone is like "man they brought Jesus again"... but you leave having really had a great time and drawn closer to your spouse and realized how much happier you are than the couples who are having "private time" its a great feeling...
 
3.  To have your privacy invaded by God is an amazing gift
 
Psalm 139:1-18
1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

Lord give us the revelation of David to know that there is nowhere we can go that you aren't there!

Definition of Invasion: 
An invasion is a military offensive in which large parts of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of either conquering, liberating or re-establishing control or authority over a territory, forcing the partition of a country, altering the established government or gaining concessions from said government, or a combination thereof. An invasion can be the cause of a war, be a part of a larger strategy to end a war, or it can constitute an entire war in itself. Due to the large scale of the operations associated with invasions, they are usually strategic in planning and execution.
 
As a country we focus on how not to be invaded by our enemies and as Christians we spiritually focus on how not to be invaded by satan & sin & the world…
 
I have found a significant issue in our strategy that for all of its good and benefits still needs to be addressed…
 
For trying at all cost to keep the enemy from invading we have restricted and often completely eliminated access to our allies…
 
There is aid and insight and reinforcements that our allies have that are vital to our long term success…
 
This series is going to focus on how to be invaded by our allies and how as individuals to be invaded by our ultimate ally… God…
 
Once the line between how we treat our enemies and our allies is blurred even our allies must attempt an INVASION if they are going to be able to help us…
 
So the question this morning is what are you afraid of spiritually that you should be welcoming into your life?…
 
What else are you actually being invaded by because you are unwilling to overcome your fears and learn why God wants to bring certain things into your life…
 
In our first week of our series I want to look at “The Invasion of a Country”...
 
A few things happen when a country is invaded…
 
The group that invaded begins to change the culture by enforcing their world view upon all the people… Politically, socially, & religiously…

Has the kingdom of heaven begun to enforce their world view upon your previously sovereign nation?
 
After an invasion it usually takes a generation or two to take root in the hearts and minds of the people and become their own…

Many of us are first generation believers without a Christian upbringing so what are you doing to develop a strong biblical world view and embrace the rule of the kingdom of heaven?…
 
Because we we’re born and raised in a different kingdom under a different set of political, social, and religious ideals it will take more from us to assimilate than our children and grandchildren…
 
So how did the children of God carryout their “Invasions”?…
 
They carried the ark of the covenant into a region…
 
The ark was about the presence of God…
 
In Exodus 33:15 Moses said… "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”…
 
At the end of Moses’ life listen to what he has to say to the people and to Joshua who would lead the future “Invasions”…
 
Deuteronomy 31:1-9
1 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2And he said to them: "I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, 'You shall not cross over this Jordan.' 3 The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the Lord has said. 4And the Lord will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. 5 The Lord will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you.6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." 7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." 9 So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.
 
So when we begin to look at our lives and how difficult it can be to feel surrounded by a world and culture that is strong and anti-God it is easy to find ourselves discouraged…
 
We can find ourselves being influenced by the powers that be instead being influenced by the King of our hearts…
 
1 Peter 2:11 says that we are sojourners and pilgrims
 
Ephesians 2:19 says that we are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God
 
Philippians 3:20 says our citizenship is in heaven
 
So what is it like to be invaded by the kingdom of God but live in a held-out stronghold of the old regime…
 
When a country is invaded and overthrown there are often a few cities the remain loyal to the previous government until they are overrun…
 
Until every knee bows to Jesus and every tongue confesses Him as Lord every nation on earth is like an enemy stronghold where the citizens of heaven find themselves surrounded…
 
Our nation has been invaded and now belongs to Jesus and we are being assimilated into kingdom life but the culture of our past lives is doing everything it can to maintain their authority over us…
 
Don’t be afraid even though we live in many ways as citizens of heaven within enemy territory…
 
2 Kings 6:8-25
8 Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, "My camp will be in such and such a place." 9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, "Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there." 10 Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice.11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, "Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?" 12 And one of his servants said, "None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom." 13 So he said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him." And it was told him, saying, "Surely he is in Dothan." 14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" 16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, "Strike this people, I pray, with blindness." And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19 Now Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." But he led them to Samaria. 20 So it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said, "Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and there they were, inside Samaria! 21 Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?" 22 But he answered, "You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master." 23 Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel. 24 And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver. 

It may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You Lord!!!