Cheating the Thief Part 2: "The Thief Comes In to Steal, Kill and Destroy""

This is the second message in a 7-part series for men at Summitview Community Church entitled "Cheating the Thief."

Men are robbed of a life of "productive dominion" and "life-giving self-sacrifice."

Jesus spoke of Satan as a thief who "comes in to steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10) and Peter reminds us to be on our guard against our enemy, the devil, who is looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8,9,10). Satan is a significant destructive force in the life of men, but he is not alone in his theft. Our world offers a multitude of "value extracting" pursuits which our selfish, unregenerate selves embrace as life. We will refer to this trifecta of forces (Satan, our world and our flesh) as the "Thief."

Proverbial Value Extractors and Life Suckers

This thief steals, kills, and destroys men by perverting their motivations and their focus. Instead of adding value to the creation and giving life to others, the thief moves men to extract life and value for their own small, selfish gain. The proverbial characters of the sluggard, the violent man and the scoffer provide great examples of the varied work of the thief in the lives of men. This message focuses on these wasteful characters in hope that, when they describe us, we will repent and, as sons of God, turn again to our calling.

Additional Resources

"Profiling the Thief" is a chart which displays how Satan's temptations, the flesh's indulgences and the world's opportunities encourage pride, unbelief, and idolatry in the sluggard, the violent man, and the scoffer.