Community: God’s Answer to Defeat

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Better Together

Community: God's Answer to Defeat By Rick Warren — May 14, 2015 “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT, second edition) Who’s watching out for you? You need people who will defend you, stand up for you and protect you, help you stay on track, and warn you. We all need this, because we all have blind spots. Philippians 2:4 says, “Look out for one another’s interest, not just your own” (TEV). If you want a counter-culture verse, that’s it! In America, the general idea is it’s all about “me” — my needs, my interests, my wants, and my ambitions. But the Bible says we should care about each other. We’re family! As brothers and sisters in God’s family, we should defend each other and help each other stay on track. Since Sept. 11, 2001, we’ve all been more vigilant in watching out for each other. But did you know that you have an enemy far more destructive than terrorists? Oh, yes! You have a personal enemy, and he hates your guts. His name is Satan. He wants to mess up your life. He wants to ruin your relationships. He wants to defeat you. Why would he do that? Because he can’t hurt God. When you can’t hurt somebody, what do you do? You go after their children. Satan can’t hurt God, so he tries to hurt God’s children. When Satan attacks you, he doesn’t come in a little red costume with a pitchfork and say, “Boo!” How does Satan mess up your life? Through habits you can’t break, through hurts that you won’t let go of, through problems and circumstances, through relationships that break your heart. Most Christians are defeated, because we try to fight Satan on our own. That’s stupid! You’re never going to win against the devil on your own. You need other people who will watch out for you and help you. Community is God’s answer to defeat. You need to find the people who will stand with you in tough times and say, “We’re not going to let you get discouraged. We’re not going to let you get depressed. We’re not going to let you worry. We’re going to stay here with you.” “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT, second edition). PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Think about the times when you have been under spiritual attack. How did isolation affect your ability to withstand temptation? When you start to feel attacked by Satan, what can you do to utilize the support of your small group or church family? How can you encourage someone in your small group or a friend who is struggling in his or her spiritual life or circumstances? Our Gift: 40 Days of Community Study Kit Pastor Rick wants to help you learn how to develop deeper, and healthier relationships and that’s why he developed the 6-session DVD and workbook study kit called 40 Days of Community. In this series, Pastor Rick explains how to do life in relationship to other people. You’ll grow if you do this study independently, but it is a wonderful way to bring a few people together and start forming meaningful friendships! LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Better Together teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: Why We Need Each Other Message 2: Reaching Out Together Message 3: What Destroys Relationships and What Builds Them Message 4: How We Help Each Other Message 5: Serving Together Message 6: Living a Generous Life PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2015 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe