Monster: Satan & Demons

We kicked off our new series, Monster, last night. This series will cover topics that relate to those little monsters we encounter on a day-to-day basis and those that seem to control many people's lives. I felt it was appropriate to start the series with a discussion of the original monsters.

70% of Americans believe Satan is real. C.S. Lewis, the great author of The Screwtape Letters, rightly reasons that there are two great errors we commit when it comes to our understanding of demonic forces. The first is that we would refuse to believe that they actually exist. The second is that we hold an unhealthy obsession with demons. Of that 70%, I belief many have a skewed view of Satan and demons. This is largely the cause of biblical illiteracy and our love of cartoons.

The name Satan is the Hebrew form of the word "adversary." Satan is our literal enemy. He is often called such names as: the devil, the serpent, Beelzelbul, prince of the power of the air and simply "the evil one."

We will define demons as: spiritual beings with moral judgements and high intelligence but without physical bodies.

Where did Satan and demons come from?
In Genesis 1:31, God creates everything and declares it to be good. All the angels at this point are obedient to God. Satan was an angel who rebelled against God due to his own choice and free will. Some of the angels also rebelled against God and became hostile to the Word. Their sin was the sin of pride. They refused to accept their proper and assigned place and set out to become their own god. This sin lead to their removal from God's presence and dismissal as angels. Satan is the cause of all moral failures and sin due to his rebellion.
[Genesis 1:31; John 1; John 17:17; Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 10:18; Jude 6]

The Activity of Satan and Demons
1. Satan was the originator of sin

• "murderer from the beginning" & "father of all lies" [John 8:44]


• "the devil has sinned since the beggining" [1 John 3:8]


• The devil originates sin and tempts others

When John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8 reference Satan sinning, "since the beginning," it is not referring to his created state, rather, it is referring to the state that we find Satan in once we enter the redemptive narrrative after the his creation.

2. Satan and Demons oppose and try to destroy every work of God

• Satan tempted Eve [Gen. 3:1-6]


• Tried to get Jesus to sin and thus fail his mission as Messiah [Matt 4:1-11]


• Satan and Demons try to blind people from seeing the gospel [2 Cor. 4:4]

3. Yet Satan and Demons are limited by Gods control and have limited power

• God and Satan are not equals. Satan was created by God, therefore, is not equal to God.


• Job 1:12-26


• Satan and Demons don't know the future and they cannot read your thoughts


• You cannot blame Satan when you commit a sin. Have you ever heard people say, "The devil made me do it." That's just dumb. Satan can only tempt you. You have the choice to act on that temptation.

Common Questions and Misconceptions- I'll try to correct false views by answering these questiosn I find many struggle with. I'll post the question, then offer my response.

1. "If God is a loving God, why would He create Satan?"

• God did not create evil, sin, oppression, injustice, or tyranny


• Satan was an angel who rebelled. This is because Satan was created with free will. He had a choice of who he was going to be. You and I are in the same position. We have the capacity to determine if we will or will not follow God's decrees and commands. If you logically follow this questions through, you must ask yourself, "Why would a loving God create me?"


• The common question that accompanies this is, "How can a loving God allow so much injustice to go on across the world." We have a tendency to blame God for the mess that we've created. If you remember Genesis 1:31, we see that God created everything GOOD. You and I are the reason why there is so much oppression in the world. You and I are the reason why there are starving children. We refuse to act and in our arrogance we dare to ask, "How can a loving God.....?"

2. "How can a loving God allow some great evil, like Satan, to run free."

• He doesn't. Satan does not run free. Satan is limited in power and influence.


• God is merciful. Follow this logic through; You want God to destroy Satan. Why? Because Satan is evil. So, you want God to destroy Satan because he is evil. You basically want God to destroy evil. If God were to destroy everything that were evil, He would destroy you and I. You really don't want that.


• Jesus cannceled the hold Satan had over us on the cross [Col. 2]

3. "Is Satan all-powerful and all-knowing? Can he be multiple places at once? Can he read my mind?"

• No

4. "Are ghost real?"

• No


• Satan and demons are real and they can manifest themselves as other characters, such as dead people.


• Demons are actually the cause of other religions and false gods. [Deaut 32 & Ps 106]

How do I deal with demons?

I'm not really trying to host a workshop on exorcisms, so I'll make this part quick.

Read Matthew 12:22-32

How does Jesus defeat demons? He doesn't need an exorcism or Rosemary's baby. Nobody's head spun around or puked peas all over a priest. Jesus uses the Holy Spirit to defeat Satan and the demons. It takes a Christian who is spirit filled, through the power of the Holy Spirit, commanding in Jesus name. We rely on Jesus' power, Jesus' authority, and the strong name of Jesus. You are not stronger than a demon. You are not smarter than a demon. You will not defeat demonic forces through morality or religious acts. You need to rely on someone who is stronger than all the demonic forces. You need to rely on Jesus. Jesus completes this victory through his death and resurrection and his open, public defeat of Satan, sin, and death. You need Jesus. Satan does not have a claim or ownership of us because Jesus canceled the debt we owed on the cross, thus purchasing many sons and daughters.

Questions

1. Am I a Christian?


2. Am I spirit-filled?


3. Am I repenting of sin and excersizing Jesus authority over Satan and demons?


4. Are there areas of my life that I have opened to dark or demonic spiritual forces?

Hope this post does not scare anyone. I hope it does exactly the opposite. Faith in the finished work of Christ should give us hope and courage. If you have more questions, feel free to contact me.

-Daniel

Rehab: Post-Camp High

We have all experienced the mountain top experience. You return from camp on fire. You can't wait to tell everybody about Jesus. And it always happens. You begin to come off your high. Is you mountain top experience meant to last? Why do we experience this feeling? For the entire duration of the camp, you have experienced Christ from sun up to sun down. Your day is filled with worship services, powerful speakers, prayer, scripture reading, encouraging friends, and love. It's like eating huge meals all day long. After the camp is over, you're full. You have feasted on God for a weekend or week! And when you come home, you begin to eat junk food instead of feasting on God.

How do we retain this close relationship with God?

Read Philippians 2:6-11

1. Keep your eyes on God's interest

2. Commit to being involved in the lives of others in a redemptive way

3. Be filled with big dreams for the Kingdom

Read Luke 6:46-49

Truth + Obedience= Rock Solid Foundation

As a student, you have to take responsibility for who you are. You have to take responsibility for your own spiritual life. At the end of the day, you either are who you say you are, or you aren't.

-Do you believe the words in the Bible to be true?

-Are you really who you say you are?

-Daniel

Rehab: Routines & Habits

Are habits good or bad? That depends......

A few bad habits are: smoking, picking your nose, biting your nails, biting your nails after you pick your nose, and procrastination, just to name a few. But, wouldn't you say that reading your bible, prayer and church attendance are good habits? Habits and routines can be life-savers or they can become evil. Let's take a look at a good habit that turned into meaningless ritual.

Read Malachi 1 & 2

These people weren't sacrificing animals to other gods, they weren't worshiping foreign gods, and they weren't involved in blatant idolatry. They became slaves to their own rituals and routines. The sacrifices became meaningless. Even something that seems good can be corrupted. Is dating evil? No. But it can be corrupted. Is money evil? No. But it can be corrupted. Going to church is a wonderful thing, but we can become apathetic and complacent.

-Are you the person who doesn't take any of this serious?

-Is church just a game for you?

-Are you the person this passage describes?

Positive Habits to Rekindle your passion for Jesus

1. Community- Church attendance and biblical community, accountability partners, etc...

2. Scripture- God speaks through His Word.

3. Prayer- Are you communicating with God?

4. Worship- As a way of life [Romans 12:1-2]

5. Giving- money

6. Serving- helping people, loving people.

7. Obedience- Doing what God said even when you don't feel like it.

8. Evangelism- Sharing Jesus with your friends and inviting them to church.

-Daniel

What You Need To Know About The Winter Retreat

The Winter Retreat is finally upon us! I would like to convey some information that will primarily benefit the parents. Please review the following list:

leave it behind:

1. Gaming systems

2. Any cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol and/or drugs

3. Fireworks

4. Any paraphernalia for pranks

5. Weapons of any kind (including knives)

6. No food is allowed in the conference room

7. Non-Christian behavior (cursing, violence, etc.)

bring it:

1. A Bible

2. Notebook & pen for notes

3. Enough modest clothing for the entire conference (three days & two nights)

4. Money for meals (the student group will not be providing meals)

5. Spending money for soft drinks, candy, or souvenirs. Conference personalities will also have articles for sale (shirts, books, etc.)

6. Permission slip signed by the parents/guardians

We will be leaving for Pigeon Forge on Saturday, January 15. Please be at the church and loaded by 8a.m. Students that do not have their permission slip, signed by parents, will not be allowed to attend the conference. Yes, I will literally not allow a student to attend if they do not have their permission slip.

Food Money: We will be eating fast food for the entire trip. This translates into cheap food. A lot of parents have been asking me how much money their child needs. I don't know. We will leave Saturday at 8a.m. You should feed them before they get to the church since we will not be stopping until lunch. Free continental breakfast will be provided at the hotel every morning, so we will not be going to get food. That means you will only have to pay for lunch and dinner for 3 days. You do the math according to how much your kid eats. Please do not put your kid on the bus without any money for food. It has happened.

In case you need to reach me:

Daniel- 334.759.0320 cell

Church office- 334.749.0461

The students will be allowed to carry cell phones, but we will ask them to turn the phones OFF during the conferences. I will release the conference schedule in the coming days, please try to call during our breaks.

We will return from the Retreat Monday night around 7-8p.m. Please make arrangements to pick your child up around this time.

-Daniel

Cultivate 1/5/2011

Crucial Truth: Jesus did not die so that you could go to church. He died so that you could be the church.

Do you own clothing that you would never wear to church?

Are there things you would never say in church, but you would say in another setting?

Which of the following locations would you describe as holy?

1. Burger King

2. Your Church

3. Your House

Nothing concerning these locations make them more or less holy than the other. You might ask, "How can you say Burger King is more holy than our church?"

Read Exodus 3:1-5

What makes this particular location holy? What makes this particular bush holy?

Read Hebrews 9:1-7

What makes the Holy of Holies holier than any other particular location? (trying saying holy of holies holier 5x fast)

The presence of God makes these locations holy. Anywhere God is becomes holy. Anything God declares to be holy is holy.

Read John 4:1-26

This is the story of a lady who thought one particular location was more holy than another. Jesus looks at this woman and tells her that a building isn't going to be the holy place anymore. A building will no longer contain the presence of God, but the body of believers by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will contain it.

Anything that God declares to be holy is holy.

Read 1 Cor. 6:19-20

When we reach this crucial understanding, church becomes more than a worship service we attend. Church is who we are. Jesus did not die so that we could go to church. Jesus died so that we could be the church. Our behavior should not be modified just because we walk through the doors and into the Student Worship Center or into the Sanctuary. Our behavior, our dress, and our morals should be the same every moment of every day.

Response:

Should I go to church? Yes.

Why? Because God said so [Hebrews 20:25] and because Jesus went to church and if it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me.

Perhaps you know people who say the following:

1. I don't have to go to church to experience God.

-True. I can experience God in my home, as I listen to worship music, as I pray, as I read my Bible, etc.

-But God still commands that you go to church [Hebrews 10:25]

-Where do people sing songs about Jesus? Where do you hear the proclamation of the Word (preaching)? Where do other believers gather to celebrate Jesus? Oh yeah....Church.

-You can't say you love God but not love His people.

2. I can't find a decent church.

-This is nothing more than a poor excuse.

-This response reveals your selfish nature. You need to grow up and come back to the real world. Life is not all about you.

3. The church is full of hypocrites.

- I agree. The church is full of people just like you.

- Is it not amazing that despite our faults and failures, God can still love people like us? We should gather to celebrate something this amazing. Where can we do that? Church.

I challenge you to invite your friends, family, and enemies to come experience the abundant life found in Jesus. Where can they hear about this good news? You guessed it......Church.

-Daniel

Cultivate 12/29/2010

What is your greatest need?

Absolute Surrender

In a time of war, the white flag symbolizes one thing: Surrender.

In a time of war, to raise your empty hands in the air and to fall on one's knees symbolizes one thing: Surrender.

This is the greatest need of every person in all of humanity. We need to surrender our lives, our wills, our everything to a holy God.

Have you ever prayed an empty prayer? Have you ever tried to do better? Have you ever tried to be a better person? Have you ever tried to stop sinning? How did it go? Did you find yourself doing better for a day, a week, maybe even a month? Only then to find yourself returning to the same sin, the same problems, the same heartache? What went wrong? You relied on yourself and your own abilities. Your efforts were nothing more than morality. You need one thing: Surrender. To surrender one's life and will to Christ is the key to everlasting change. By faith, you must trust that God is capable of doing far more than you have ever imagined in your life.

Read Romans 12:1-2

Questions:

Have I surrendered my life to Christ?

What areas do I need help with? What areas do I need to surrender?

Pray and trust that God alone can change our hearts.

-Daniel