Fear No Evil (John 8:42-48)
Gary McManus, 10/28/2022Part of the God's Word is Life series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
October 30, 2022 All Hallowed’s Eve
John 8:42-48
Today: Halloween, Satan, and witches. Any connection? Your Pastor believes in Satan.
Satan entered Judas (Luke 22:3).
Jesus’ victory over death Jesus shares WITH US (I Corinthians 15 ). After Jesus was tempted by Satan, Jesus went about plundering Satan’s goods (Matthew 12:29, Mark 3:27).
Someday, the war with Satan will be won completely and fully. The main objectives of that cosmic conflict have been achieved in Jesus. Until the end, we struggle/wrestle with (Ephesians 6:12 ):
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Believe in them or not, we are afflicted.
Notice, however:
1. Jesus and Satan did not fight.
2. Luke tells us that Satan entered Judas. (Luke 22:3)
Jesus and the disciples do not go after Judas with torches and
pitchforks. AND in 1 Timothy 1:20, Hymenaeus and Alexander are to be delivered to Satan not for destruction but for INSTRUCTION.
This NT way to deal with Satan is not what Hollywood or the medieval church showed us.
In America, some Pastors’ have instructed their churches to burn recordings, burn video games, burn books, burn DVDs. That is SO last Century.
Lets talk to some people who HAVE faced Satan. [In a moment.]
In America in the 1980s there was a “satanic cult craze”. All verdicts were overturned for lack of evidence. The Satan fear craze is gone in America but continues in other countries.
Christians are wasting their time.
The New Testament does not teach anyone to go after devil worshipers with torches and pitchforks. (Or a lawyer.)
Our American Bill of Rights gives witches the right to practice witchcraft. If they break the law, prosecute them. Just as we prosecute Christians who break the law.
Simple question: compare the number of murders by witches or Satan worshipers with murders by those who never claim Satan or claim to be witches. Did a drunk driver ever claim to be a Satan worshiper? [10,000 deaths every year in USA.]
American Christians and American Pastors are looking for evil in the wrong places and wasting time fighting evil where they think it is. AND, their fight is not Biblical or helpful.
( John 10:10)
Priests have official duties to serve as exorcists for the church. Father Rossetti: two vivid lessons come from exorcisms;
--demons possess or harass people in a myriad of ways (and can do so without entering a body)
--they are defeated decisively by the power of Christ and His Church
p. 17: It can be hard to know whether a person has a mental illness, psychological problem, is oppressed by demons or possessed by a demon.
No matter, the answer is the same--Jesus.
p.21 We can conquer Satan through our participation in Jesus.
(Romans 8:14, Romans 8:17, 1 John 3:1, Hebrews 1:5, )
There is one trait above all for the exorcist that is essential;
the exorcist must trust in the power of Jesus Christ,
Satan was not allowed to kill Job (Job 2:6).
Medication or exorcist?
Christians, don’t be afraid of Halloween.
Don’t even be afraid of Satan.
Don’t grab a pitchfork and a torch.
Trust in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen.
worshipers
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