1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 Can you hear all right at the back? 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:08,000 Huh? 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,000 Okay, apparently you can. We can lift the speaker up if it's 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,000 difficult for you to hear. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,000 We'll give it a try and see what that's like. Thank you, Mark. 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,000 First thing I want to do tonight is finish my morning message. 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,000 So let me talk to you just a couple of minutes 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,000 about this matter of what our authority includes. 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,000 We talked this morning about our position in Jesus Christ, 10 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,000 that we are one with Him, that we've been given identity in Christ, 11 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,000 and as a result of that position, 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,000 we have authority that God gives us. And we said that that 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,000 authority includes all that we need to make disciples. 14 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,000 We are in a supernatural battle 15 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000 for the souls of men and women. They are 16 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,000 blinded supernaturally, and therefore we need 17 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,000 to be ministering the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit, 18 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,000 standing firm in the authority that Jesus Christ has given us 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,000 as we proclaim the Gospel. And 20 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,000 the result of that is the enemy of souls has to back away. 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,000 As I said this morning, it doesn't guarantee everybody is going to become a 22 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,000 believer that we present the Gospel to, but at least 23 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,000 that supernatural spell upon them 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,000 can be broken if we proclaim the Gospel in the authority 25 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,000 of Jesus Christ. And then we leave to the Lord 26 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,000 His work of bringing conviction to their hearts and awakening their 27 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,000 conscience to seek after the Lord. 28 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:52,000 But when we talk about our authority, we also want to say 29 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,000 that our authority includes all that we need to win battles. 30 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,000 And would you look at Ephesians chapter 6 31 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:04,000 for a moment, because there is this remarkable paragraph 32 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,000 in which the Apostle Paul talks about spiritual warfare. 33 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,000 Some people have the misconception that spiritual warfare is 34 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,000 talked about in the Gospels where Jesus confronts 35 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,000 demoniacs and delivers them, but in fact the whole 36 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,000 concept of spiritual warfare is written right through the Epistles of the New Testament. 37 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,000 We sometimes don't realize that, but it's very clear 38 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,000 in Ephesians 6 and nearly everyone agrees that that is what Paul is 39 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,000 talking about. The thing I want to point out is that our struggle 40 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,000 in verse 12 is against these spiritual forces 41 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,000 in the heavenly places, that is in the realm of the 42 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,000 spirits. Our struggle refers to our hand-to-hand 43 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,000 combat. He pictures here a very close 44 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,000 guerrilla type activity 45 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,000 actually, as he says that we are right there 46 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:04,000 face-to-face with these powers and we are struggling 47 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,000 with them. And so he says, by way of 48 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,000 introduction actually in verse 10, finally be strong 49 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,000 in the Lord. You see, in the Lord 50 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,000 their strength. 51 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,000 We cannot combat satanic forces 52 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,000 in our own strength. We don't have it. 53 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,000 But we can be strong, 54 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,000 be empowered, is the word, be empowered 55 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,000 in the Lord because of our oneness with Him. 56 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,000 And he goes on to say, be strong in the Lord and in the 57 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,000 strength of His might. 58 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,000 That's an interesting phrase and we find it first back in chapter 1 59 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,000 at some verses we read this morning 60 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,000 where he says in verse 19, these are in accordance 61 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000 with the working of the strength of His might. 62 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,000 You see that same phrase? The strength of His might. 63 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,000 Chapter 1 verse 19, chapter 6 verse 10. 64 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,000 So he is telling us that we are to be strong in the Lord 65 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,000 in the strength of His might by which 66 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,000 God brought about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 67 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,000 That is the power that is at work 68 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,000 in and through us. It is the power of the resurrection 69 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,000 of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we have 70 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,000 in Jesus Christ all that we need to win 71 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,000 spiritual battles against satanic forces. 72 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,000 You say, well now what kind of battles are you talking about? 73 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,000 Well, there are battles in our own lives with these forces 74 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,000 as they seek to tempt us, 75 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,000 to distract us by whatever means they can 76 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,000 to destroy us. We have whatever it takes 77 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,000 in the Lord to be victors. He always 78 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,000 leads us in triumph. 79 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,000 We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 80 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,000 And then there are battles in the lives 81 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,000 of others. Friends of ours, or people 82 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:28,000 that we are seeking to disciple, 83 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,000 who are under some influence or control of the evil one, 84 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,000 you and I have what we need in the Lord 85 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,000 to come to their aid, to assist them in the battle 86 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,000 for their own freedom. 87 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,000 Now the wonderful thing is that if that person, that other person is a Christian, 88 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:52,000 they also can do battle in the Lord. 89 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,000 Some of you are exposed to the writings of Neil Anderson 90 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,000 and may be familiar with what he calls the steps to deliverance, 91 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:04,000 or steps to freedom, excuse me, in which he 92 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:08,000 outlines seven areas of our lives where Satan can make 93 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,000 a beachhead, where he can gain an opportunity 94 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,000 over us, gain an advantage over us. 95 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,000 And so Dr. Anderson has systematized, he didn't 96 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,000 create this, this is simply the word of God, but he systematized this 97 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,000 in such a way that you can examine those seven areas of your own life 98 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,000 to see if there be any beachhead that Satan may have 99 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,000 claimed and renounce him and shut the door as it were 100 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,000 on him and remove any ground that he may have 101 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,000 claimed due to some sin in the life. 102 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,000 And that's wonderful, but I have found that there are some people 103 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,000 who are so bound by the enemy, 104 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:56,000 who are so downtrodden by the enemy that they need help 105 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:00,000 at least for a while until they learn themselves how 106 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,000 they can overcome the evil one. And so you and I are equipped 107 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,000 by all that we need in Jesus Christ to do battle on behalf 108 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,000 of others. And then we're equipped to do battle 109 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,000 on behalf of the Church. I really think that's the context of 110 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:20,000 Ephesians 6. It's not just the personal 111 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,000 battles that we have that he's thinking about. He's thinking primarily about 112 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:28,000 the struggles that we have together as a body of people against Satanic 113 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,000 spirits. Now what kinds of battles are these? 114 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:36,000 Well, Satan has all kinds of tactics that he loves to use 115 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,000 in a church. His primary 116 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:44,000 tactic, by the way, is probably division. 117 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,000 Probably division. He loves to use that and he will divide 118 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,000 whether it be over personalities or if it be issues 119 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,000 or minor doctrines. He loves to create 120 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,000 division. That's probably his greatest tactic. And so what 121 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,000 should churches do who are facing division 122 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:08,000 or who are in the midst of division? Get on their knees before God 123 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:12,000 and combat Satan. Because he is 124 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,000 the one who is the fountain of strifes and division. Now it can also 125 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,000 come out of our human flesh. But Satan then takes that 126 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:24,000 which comes out of our human fleshliness and exaggerates 127 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,000 and intensifies and multiplies it until what has begun 128 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,000 as a little match fire suddenly becomes a roaring forest fire 129 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,000 in a church intended to consume it. 130 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:40,000 So we have all that we need in Jesus Christ to win 131 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,000 spiritual battles. We have that authority in Christ. 132 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,000 And here he tells us that we have the very strength 133 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,000 of Jesus' resurrection by which to do battle. 134 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,000 And then finally let me say that our authority in Jesus 135 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,000 Christ includes all that we need to pray effectively. 136 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,000 Back in chapter 3 here of Ephesians, verse 12 137 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:08,000 he says, regarding Christ Jesus our Lord in whom 138 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,000 we have boldness and confident access 139 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,000 through faith in Him. Jesus told us 140 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,000 that we could pray in His name. 141 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,000 That means that He has given us the authority to use His name 142 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,000 in prayer. As you know it is more than 143 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,000 tacking on those words to a prayer. Although that is not bad to do. 144 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,000 Sometimes it is good to get out of the habit of doing that because it becomes 145 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:40,000 a meaningless repetition. What he is 146 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,000 really saying though is that we have the authority to pray 147 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,000 on His behalf. To ask for those things that He 148 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,000 would pray for. It is like 149 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,000 my giving to you my credit card and saying 150 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,000 go on down here and buy whatever you want. Go get it. 151 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,000 Now we don't have any volunteers for that, I am glad to see. 152 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,000 But the point would be that I had given you the authority 153 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,000 to use my credit card. And Jesus Christ 154 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:16,000 has given us as it were His name to use 155 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,000 to put down in our praying and to say I am praying this on behalf 156 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,000 of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that is serious business when we 157 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,000 are praying in Christ's stead. 158 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:32,000 Therefore the very best way to pray, it is not the only way 159 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:36,000 but the very best way I think is to go to the Bible itself and allow it to 160 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,000 prompt our praying so that we are praying God's own 161 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,000 thoughts. And then we can pray 162 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,000 consistent with the Bible. We may not have a verse 163 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:52,000 that we are basing the prayer on but we know that what we are asking 164 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,000 is consistent with what God would ask. 165 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:00,000 Now you say well can I pray for good health? 166 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,000 Can I pray for a new job? 167 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:08,000 Another car? Well of course. Our Heavenly Father 168 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:12,000 knows that we have need of all of those things even before we ask Him. 169 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:16,000 But we have the authority to come to Him and pray for those things 170 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:20,000 as long as of course we have the attitude Lord your will be done. 171 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:24,000 Because we don't know if it is God's will that we have good health. 172 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:28,000 We don't know for sure if it is God's will that we get another job 173 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,000 or another car. But we can ask Him for that 174 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,000 and say now Lord you do what you think is best. You provide. 175 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:40,000 You lead. Your will be done. We have the authority to pray. 176 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,000 It is confidence that He is giving us here. We have the right of entry 177 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,000 into the presence of God. We have freedom of speech 178 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,000 before God. That is what access is. It is freedom of speech 179 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,000 before the Lord. Boldness and confident 180 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:00,000 access. And so we have wonderful authority 181 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,000 in Jesus Christ. By the way if you 182 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,000 want to find a book that 183 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,000 kind of develops this whole idea. Mark would you open up my briefcase 184 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:16,000 please. I left the book over there. There is one 185 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,000 by Neil Anderson somewhere in the pile. 186 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,000 There it is. Living Free in Christ. That is it. 187 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,000 Wonderful short chapters in which he talks about our, thank you, 188 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,000 our identity in Jesus Christ, who we are in Christ, and what that 189 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,000 means. Wonderfully easy reading. 190 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,000 Living Free in Christ. 191 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,000 Okay that is 192 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,000 enough of the sermon from this morning. We will go on to some 193 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,000 other things now. Shall we take another offering? 194 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,000 I guess not. 195 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:00,000 I didn't pass out questions, or slip for 196 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:04,000 questions, because we have a whole stack from last time. But if you have questions 197 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:08,000 that you want to present, please 198 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:12,000 feel free to take a piece of paper if you have one and jot it down. You can give it to me 199 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:16,000 afterward, because we have one more night. 200 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:20,000 I think it is next Sunday night that we are devoting to this, and we will try to 201 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,000 cover those questions next week. But I think we have enough here 202 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,000 to last us for this evening. 203 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,000 How does one know if the temptation or weakness 204 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:36,000 are self-inflicted or from the powers 205 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:40,000 of darkness? The point being here, if I 206 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:44,000 am passing through a temptation, how do I know if that is coming out of myself? 207 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:48,000 I think the question is, or if it is the devil 208 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,000 who is doing it. I think an appropriate way to view most 209 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,000 situations is to see them as arising 210 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,000 first of all out of our own flesh. 211 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:04,000 James chapter 1 talks about the process of lust 212 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:08,000 that produces sin, if we allow it 213 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,000 to, and then death. 214 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:16,000 So temptation to sin arises out of our own 215 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,000 flesh. Satan then, 216 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,000 generally speaking, loves to 217 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,000 put his finger in that area where we have a weakness or a battle, 218 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,000 or where we are being tempted by our flesh, and he stirs it up. He inflames 219 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:36,000 it. He seeks to take advantage of us in 220 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:40,000 that area. So I don't know that we can necessarily say 221 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:44,000 it is one or the other. I think we can say generally 222 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,000 it begins in the flesh if we don't nip it there, if we don't face 223 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:52,000 that temptation and deal with it at that point, we run the 224 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,000 risk of satanic, demonic 225 00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:00,000 involvement in seeking to further that sin 226 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,000 or that temptation in our lives. 227 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,000 Now there are times when Satan does tempt us directly. 228 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,000 We see that, for example, in Job 229 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,000 that the whole situation was set up by God's 230 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:20,000 providence, God's permission, but Satan came then 231 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,000 specifically with the temptation for Job. And sometimes I have said, and I think this is 232 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:28,000 again a lot of what I am saying are kind of general statements, but 233 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:32,000 I think that we can say that when 234 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:36,000 something just hits us out of the blue, there has been nothing through 235 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,000 the eyes or through the ears 236 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,000 that has stimulated our flesh. When it just hits us 237 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,000 out of the blue like a fiery dart, that we can 238 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,000 usually consider that as being directly from Satan. 239 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:56,000 And as we said last week, it doesn't really make that much difference whether it is the flesh 240 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,000 or Satan because we handle it the same way. We stand against it 241 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,000 in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We use the word of God 242 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,000 to do battle against that temptation in the power of the Holy 243 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:12,000 Spirit. A companion question says, what 244 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,000 are the devil's favorite modes of getting Christians to sin? 245 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,000 Parenthesis, the not so obvious ones. 246 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:24,000 I suppose there are some obvious ones. I would immediately 247 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:28,000 think of some not so obvious ones as being prayerlessness. 248 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,000 Sometimes we don't think of that as being a sin, 249 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,000 but it is, isn't it? We have been commanded to pray. 250 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,000 It is appropriate for us to pray because that expresses our 251 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:44,000 dependence upon God. And Satan's whole desire is to get us independent of God. 252 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,000 So if we don't pray, then we are at least expressing 253 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,000 independence that way from God. 254 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,000 Probably busyness 255 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,000 is another very subtle temptation. When we just get so 256 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,000 busy, we get on a treadmill. Do you ever feel that way? 257 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:08,000 Well, the two of you do. 258 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,000 I think we all come to those times, and maybe you are on one tonight, 259 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:16,000 where you just feel like you are running yourself to death. 260 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,000 And you lose perspective on life, you lose priorities. 261 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:24,000 So I think busyness is another perhaps not so obvious 262 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:28,000 mode of the devil to get us off track. 263 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:32,000 He doesn't really care what it is 264 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:36,000 as long as it gets our focus off the Lord. 265 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:40,000 It can even be a good thing. 266 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,000 As long as it gets our priorities messed up and our 267 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,000 focus is off Christ. That's all that counts to him. 268 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,000 What role do therapists 269 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,000 slash counselors, parenthesis secular, 270 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:00,000 play in the recovery 271 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,000 slash healing process for abused individuals? 272 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:08,000 What role do secular counselors have 273 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:12,000 in helping those who have been abused? 274 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:16,000 I suppose it would be 275 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:20,000 too general a statement to say that 276 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:24,000 there are no secular counselors who can help. 277 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,000 Because that wouldn't necessarily be true. But I can tell you that 278 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,000 from my perspective as a pastor, I would never recommend someone 279 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:36,000 to a secular counselor. 280 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,000 Because if a person who is counseling, 281 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,000 who is trying to deal with the mental, emotional 282 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000 health of a person does not have respect for God, 283 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,000 then how can that person 284 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:56,000 truly be of any help to an individual, whether Christian or non-Christian? 285 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,000 And my limited experience with 286 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:04,000 this whole thing suggests to me 287 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:08,000 notice my careful conditioning of all these statements 288 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,000 suggest to me that 289 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,000 a good number of people who have gotten into this professional field 290 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:20,000 are there not so much to help others as to find answers 291 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:24,000 for themselves. 292 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:28,000 They're hurting broken people who are desperately trying to find 293 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:32,000 help for themselves. And that's not a 294 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:36,000 condemning statement necessarily, it's just an observation 295 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:40,000 regarding some of them. 296 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:44,000 I do believe that there is a place for 297 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,000 therapy, for counselors who study 298 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,000 man's makeup. Psychology cannot 299 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,000 be appropriately called a science. You can't 300 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:00,000 put psychological theories and ideas in test tubes 301 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,000 and repeat them and so on and subject it to scientific tests. 302 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:08,000 Psychology is not a science in the true sense of the word. 303 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,000 It is a social science. 304 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,000 Which is to say it changes about every five years. 305 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,000 And new ideas come up and the old ones are debunked. I mean it's worse 306 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:24,000 than whether butter or margarine is the best for you, right? 307 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,000 I suppose you heard that account this week. 308 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,000 So there are all kinds of theories out there, people from A to Z in theories 309 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,000 of counseling. And so if you're looking for a counselor, the first 310 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,000 basic qualification ought to be, is this person 311 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:44,000 a Christian? Or at least does this person have 312 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,000 a respect for God in the Bible? 313 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:52,000 And part of the problem here is that people have insurance plans 314 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,000 and they are limited as to which 315 00:20:56,000 --> 00:21:00,000 counselors they can go to. We run into that all the time with people. 316 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,000 And counseling is very expensive. 317 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:08,000 Even Christian counselors who are on sliding scales can become expensive. 318 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,000 And so people who are limited to group health or to whatever 319 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:16,000 organization are often up against a wall 320 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:20,000 when they try to find a counselor who will be able to 321 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:24,000 help them. 322 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,000 Are angels appearances to people predetermined? I don't know. 323 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:32,000 Why does this 324 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:36,000 not happen to people who thirst for it to happen? Not to prove a point 325 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,000 but to increase their faith. I'm not so sure that 326 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,000 angels appearing increase faith. 327 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:48,000 Faith is the evidence of things not seen. And so if I have 328 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:52,000 to see an angel, it's not really increasing my faith. 329 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,000 I suppose all of us would like to run into an angel 330 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:00,000 and maybe ask a question or two. 331 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,000 But the fact is that that's a very rare occurrence. We talk about those stories 332 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,000 because they do happen once in a while. Or they seem to happen. 333 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,000 But this is not something that's normal. And why 334 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,000 God does it here and not all of these other places, I don't know. 335 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:20,000 That's God's business. As somebody said, I'm in sales, not management. 336 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:26,000 First John 337 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,000 4.1 says, how do you test the spirits? 338 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,000 Let's look up that verse. First John 4.1. 339 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:42,000 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see 340 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:46,000 whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 341 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:50,000 John's view of these false teachers 342 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:54,000 is that they are controlled by spirits. 343 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:58,000 That their message is resulting 344 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,000 from spirits who are using and manipulating them. 345 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:06,000 Paul warns about the doctrines of demons. He is 346 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:10,000 telling us that demonic forces create 347 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:14,000 religious ideas and philosophies 348 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:18,000 that are false, which lead people away from God. And these teachers 349 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,000 then that are being used go out into the world. And that's what John 350 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:26,000 is saying. And so he says that we are to not believe every spirit. 351 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,000 Boy, that's good advice, isn't it? There is 352 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:34,000 a certain gullibility in the part of the church today about things 353 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,000 that take place, or reportedly take place. 354 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:42,000 Supernatural things especially. We ought not to believe 355 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:46,000 every spirit, but test the spirits. Now, what does 356 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:50,000 that mean, to test the spirits? How do you think you test the spirits? 357 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,000 Exactly. The context tells us. 358 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,000 By this you know the Spirit of God. 359 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:02,000 Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is 360 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:06,000 from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is 361 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:10,000 not from God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of which 362 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:14,000 you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 363 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:18,000 And so the testing of the spirits takes place 364 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:22,000 in the limited context here 365 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:26,000 by finding out what that teaching says about Jesus Christ. 366 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:30,000 There are other questions that can be asked as well, but that's the core 367 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:34,000 of it, isn't it? And so whether it be Mormonism, 368 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:38,000 or Jehovah's Witness, 369 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:42,000 or New Age, or it be the 370 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,000 pseudo-scholars who wrote the article in the St. Paul paper 371 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:50,000 today that attacks the authenticity of Christianity, 372 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:54,000 you ask the questions 373 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:58,000 about Jesus Christ to find out whether they're from God. That's how you test 374 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:02,000 the spirits. Now that term, test the spirits, is also used in the case 375 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:06,000 of helping people to be delivered from 376 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,000 demonic spirits. There is a way to test for the presence 377 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:14,000 of spirits and people, but I'm sure that in the context of this question, he's talking 378 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,000 about how we do that, and this is how you do it. The word of God 379 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:22,000 is the test as to whether a teaching 380 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:26,000 is of God. 381 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:30,000 Please explain what you meant by casualties when you said in your 382 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:34,000 sermon recently that 383 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:38,000 in spiritual warfare there are casualties. Well, as 384 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:42,000 in a military war, there can be 385 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:46,000 those wounded, so in a spiritual war there can be those 386 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:50,000 who are wounded, those who are hurt. And 387 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,000 we become casualties when we are ignorant of what's taking place around us. 388 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:58,000 Some of you have been in the military. You're really in trouble if you're 389 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:02,000 ignorant of what the enemy's doing, aren't you? I mean, you're vulnerable. 390 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:06,000 You're a victim of them. And so there are those Christians who are ignorant 391 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:10,000 of the devil. Paul writes to the Corinthians, 392 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:14,000 and he says, we are not ignorant of his devices, 393 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:18,000 but some of us are. Too many of us are in the church 394 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:22,000 today, and the result of that is that we can get trapped. 395 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:26,000 We fall into temptation and sin, 396 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:30,000 or we become wounded casualties. And so that's 397 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:34,000 what I'm referring to. 398 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:38,000 I was going to say something else there, and it went right out my mind, so I guess I've said enough. 399 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:46,000 Oh, it's not only by ignorance that we 400 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:50,000 can fall, it's also by 401 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:54,000 carelessness. 402 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:58,000 Friends of mine, probably friends of yours, 403 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:02,000 who have known better, have fallen. 404 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:06,000 Not because they were ignorant, but because they were careless. 405 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:10,000 They were careless in the battle. 406 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:14,000 We can't play with sin, can we? 407 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,000 We can't play with sin. We can't 408 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:22,000 excuse it in our lives. How subtly Satan allows us, 409 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,000 causes us rather to begin to excuse sin. 410 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:30,000 As to why this is okay in this particular circumstance. 411 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:34,000 And before we know it, we've stepped our foot in that snare, 412 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:38,000 and the Fowler has caught us. 413 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:42,000 Well, you have a recommended book list. 414 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:46,000 Not really a list, but we do have a number of books that we've ordered. They're up in the 415 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:50,000 bookstore, and if they are beginning to be 416 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,000 bought, we will... 417 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,000 depleted, depleted, there's the word. Depleted, we will 418 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:02,000 replenish them. Got a cross in my mind there. 419 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:06,000 Is rebuking 420 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,000 Satan the same as fleeing? 421 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:14,000 When you flee from Satan using God's word, will he stay away? 422 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:18,000 For how long? 423 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:22,000 Let me just back up and say, I would not understand rebuking the same as 424 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:26,000 fleeing. In fact, I don't know of a place where it says that we're to flee 425 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:30,000 Satan. We are to flee temptation. We are to flee youthful lusts. 426 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:34,000 But we are to stand against Satan. Ephesians 427 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:38,000 chapter 6. We are to resist the devil. We're not to 428 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:42,000 flee from him. We don't have to flee from him. 429 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:46,000 He must flee from us. Submit yourselves 430 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:50,000 to God, resist the devil, and what? He will flee 431 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:54,000 from you. So we never have to flee from the devil. 432 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:58,000 We simply have to stand in faith and resist him 433 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:02,000 in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I would 434 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:06,000 equate that with rebuking Satan. Although there may be some 435 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:10,000 who have a particular definition of rebuking, but I would say 436 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:14,000 that simply resisting Satan is rebuking 437 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:18,000 him. And when he flees from us, 438 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,000 how long will he stay away? I don't know. 439 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,000 It is interesting that when Jesus defeated Satan in the temptation, 440 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:30,000 it says, and the devil left him for a little while. 441 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,000 See, the devil can get beat up too. 442 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,000 And he got badly beaten up by Jesus. 443 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:42,000 And he went away for a little while, suggesting that he did come back. 444 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:46,000 That when that temptation was passed 445 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:50,000 in the wilderness, there were other temptations that Jesus faced 446 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:54,000 in his life. And he comes back to us. 447 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:58,000 But we have the weapons 448 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:02,000 we need to confront him and to resist 449 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:06,000 him whenever he comes, however often he comes. 450 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:10,000 Are we always under attack? It asks here. 451 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:14,000 We are always 452 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:18,000 in the potential of attack. 453 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:22,000 But I wouldn't say we are always under attack. Because there are times 454 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:26,000 when we are being attacked by Satan. 455 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:30,000 And there are times when he backs off for a period of time. 456 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:34,000 But we are always, vulnerable is not the right word, 457 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:38,000 but it is always possible for us to be attacked at any time. 458 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:42,000 There is never a point when we can say, well I am done with that. 459 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:46,000 The devil can't get to me now. 460 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:50,000 There are those who have the idea that because of the cross work of the Lord Jesus 461 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:54,000 Christ that we are invincible. That we don't even need to 462 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:58,000 worry about the devil anymore. I have such a hard time understanding how sincere Christians 463 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:02,000 can believe that. Because the New Testament just flies 464 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:06,000 right in the face of that idea. He is defeated, he is 465 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:10,000 broken. We have the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, but we must 466 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:14,000 be on guard. We have to be vigilant and sober 467 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:18,000 because our adversary, the devil, walks about as a 468 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:22,000 roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 469 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:26,000 He does. And so we have to be on guard against 470 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:30,000 that adversary. 471 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:34,000 Is the angel of death mentioned in Exodus an angel of 472 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:38,000 good from heaven or an angel of evil from Satan? 473 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:42,000 I think I have probably even myself used this term the angel 474 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:46,000 of death. And yet when I went to my concordance to look it up I couldn't find it 475 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:50,000 in Exodus. Maybe it is used somewhere else. I didn't research this thoroughly. 476 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:54,000 But it talks rather in Exodus about 477 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:58,000 the Lord striking the firstborn. And I think that that is the reference here 478 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:02,000 to the Passover time. That it is the 479 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:06,000 Lord who struck the firstborn in all the land of Egypt is what it 480 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:10,000 says. So if there was angelic involvement in that 481 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:14,000 then we would conclude that it was an angel from God 482 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:18,000 that was involved. Is it possible 483 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:22,000 that spirits we may encounter could be good 484 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,000 and from heaven? Highly unlikely. 485 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:30,000 There are these stories as I said before about angelic spirits 486 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:34,000 that may appear or say something 487 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:38,000 but those are extremely rare. 488 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:42,000 And I think that when that does happen we probably would have a sense within our 489 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:46,000 hearts that this is alright. 490 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:50,000 If you see something in your bedroom, some dark shape 491 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:54,000 and that's what this question was focusing on, some comments I made 492 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,000 I would not assume that to be from God. 493 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:02,000 And I wouldn't mess around 494 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:06,000 with the spirit one way or the other. Can animals 495 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:10,000 sense spirits? Can animals be controlled by spirits? 496 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:14,000 Of course they can be controlled by spirits. 497 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:18,000 You remember that the legion said 498 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:22,000 we'll leave here but put us where? 499 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:26,000 Put us in those pigs. And they controlled the pigs and the pigs went off 500 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:30,000 the cliff into the Sea of Galilee. 501 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:34,000 And I think of Balaam as he was on his way to 502 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:38,000 try to curse Israel riding his donkey 503 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:42,000 and the angel of the Lord appeared and the donkey saw the angel 504 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:46,000 in the road and the donkey went off the road and Balaam whipped his 505 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:50,000 donkey, got back in the road. On further down the road the 506 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,000 angel appeared again. Balaam didn't see it. The donkey saw the angel 507 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:58,000 and smashed Balaam's foot against the wall. 508 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:02,000 And he beat the donkey. He said get moving. 509 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:06,000 And a little bit further down the road in a very narrow place 510 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:10,000 the angel appeared again. And Balaam didn't see it 511 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:14,000 but the donkey did and the donkey this time was laid down the road. 512 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:18,000 And Balaam began to beat his donkey. Where are these animal 513 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:22,000 rights people when you need them? He began to beat 514 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:26,000 this donkey. And what happened? 515 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:30,000 The donkey turned around and talked to him. 516 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:34,000 The donkey turned around and talked to him and said here I have born you all these 517 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:38,000 years and you're treating me like this. If you think that's strange Balaam talked 518 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:42,000 back to the donkey. 519 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:46,000 They had a little conversation there. And then the 520 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:50,000 Lord opened Balaam's eyes so he could see the angel of the Lord. 521 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,000 And so he finally saw this spiritual being. 522 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:58,000 So animals can be controlled 523 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:02,000 by spirits. I think that they can sometimes 524 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:06,000 at least sense spirits. I told you the story that I 525 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:10,000 believe to be factual of my missionary friend who 526 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:14,000 returned to his home quickly in Japan. They were under 527 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:18,000 attack and their family. And as he got back to his house the dogs 528 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:22,000 of the neighborhood were all around his house barking at it. 529 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:26,000 And he went in and his wife was terrified 530 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:30,000 of whatever this was in the house. His children were again 531 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:34,000 in the bedroom crying with pain in their legs as they had been now for some number 532 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:38,000 of days off and on. 533 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:42,000 So they just knelt down together right there and asked God to cleanse their 534 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:46,000 house of whatever this was that was attacking them. And it stopped. 535 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:50,000 The pain stopped. The cloud of fear left. 536 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:54,000 And the dogs stopped barking all at the same moment. 537 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,000 And they discovered then that the maid 538 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:02,000 that they had hired had brought in as a gift to them a little idol. 539 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:06,000 And put it on the wall of the children's bedroom and that was the 540 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:10,000 entrance of the spirit into that Christian home. 541 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:14,000 And of course they got rid of that idol. And they had no 542 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:18,000 problems after that. But you can see there that the dogs somehow sensed that 543 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:22,000 there was something happening in that house. 544 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:26,000 Are there church officials 545 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:30,000 who still perform needed exorcisms of 546 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:34,000 Satanic persons as well as sanctuaries and homes? 547 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:38,000 Yes, and you can see Pastor Rick about that. No, I'm just kidding. 548 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:42,000 Let me say a word about 549 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:46,000 exorcisms. 550 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:50,000 The word exorcism refers to the use of magical 551 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:54,000 words and rituals 552 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:58,000 to dispel demonic spirits. 553 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:02,000 And that is a totally unbiblical concept. 554 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:06,000 You've probably heard of the film that was out some number of years 555 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:10,000 ago now called The Exorcist which 556 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:14,000 was rather fanciful in the way that it dealt with this whole 557 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:18,000 theme. A Catholic priest was The Exorcist. 558 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:22,000 But what he apparently was involved in, and I've never seen the film, I do not 559 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:26,000 watch those kinds of films. I don't think it's healthy. 560 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:30,000 What he apparently was involved in was 561 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,000 using some sort of ritual to get rid of the spirit that was 562 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:38,000 in this girl. The Bible talks 563 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:42,000 rather about the power of the word of God. The power of the truth. 564 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:46,000 The power of faith 565 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:50,000 to resist spirits. And so I believe that a better 566 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:54,000 term than exorcism would be deliverance. 567 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:58,000 There are those who 568 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:02,000 have largely devoted their ministries to deliverance. 569 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:06,000 I have some friends who have done this. There's a wonderful 570 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:10,000 counseling center down in Sioux City, Iowa. 571 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:14,000 And it's name I'll give to you here 572 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:18,000 eventually. 573 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:22,000 Anyway, I don't know when eventually will be. 574 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:28,000 But anyway, 575 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:32,000 it's a wonderful counseling ministry. 576 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:36,000 It's ICBC are the initials, but I can't get the 577 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:40,000 way it starts. But International 578 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:44,000 Center for Biblical Counseling. That's it. The International 579 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:48,000 Center for Biblical Counseling. Dr. Mark 580 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:52,000 Bubeck is the founder and president of it. He has written a number of books, 581 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:56,000 including The Adversary, which is one of the finest 582 00:38:56,000 --> 00:39:00,000 books on explaining Satan and how he is 583 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:04,000 our adversary, and some others. And there are others 584 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:08,000 there, and their full-time ministry is to help people who have encountered 585 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:12,000 spiritual problems. And they are busy. 586 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:16,000 Weeks ahead of time, their schedules are booked solid 587 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:20,000 from all over the world. One of the men 588 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:24,000 who's a very humorous and 589 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:28,000 gifted speaker, as well as a marvelous counselor, 590 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:32,000 whose name again I'll give you eventually, 591 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:36,000 made the comment 592 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:40,000 in one of his presentations that he gets into his office 593 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:44,000 at five o'clock in the morning, every day of the week. 594 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:48,000 He begins calling to Europe 595 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:52,000 with questions that have either been mailed, faxed, or telephoned in. 596 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:56,000 He calls people long distance in Europe until 597 00:39:56,000 --> 00:40:00,000 eight o'clock. He starts his day of counseling until 598 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:04,000 whatever time in the afternoon he's done, and then in the evening he goes back and he calls 599 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:08,000 the Far East with the same 600 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:12,000 kinds of issues. We're talking about heavy duty stuff. 601 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:16,000 And some of it dealing with missionaries and what they're encountering, 602 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:20,000 or their families, or churches, 603 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:24,000 not only in the Far East in Europe, but here in the United States. 604 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:28,000 So there are some people who have dedicated 605 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:32,000 their lives to this kind of ministry. And we 606 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:36,000 have a ministry here in the northern suburban area, 607 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:40,000 here in the Twin Cities, called the Lighthouse, some of you are familiar with. 608 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:44,000 It originated in the Christian Missionary Alliance 609 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:48,000 Church in Shoreview, and although it's not officially connected with 610 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:52,000 the CMA, they do their counseling several nights 611 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:56,000 a week out of the CMA office here in Roseville. And their whole 612 00:40:56,000 --> 00:41:00,000 ministry is to help people 613 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:04,000 be delivered from demonic oppression, and to 614 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:08,000 experience the freedom of Christ. 615 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:12,000 They're wonderful people, and I love them in the Lord. 616 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:16,000 They do some things just a little differently than I would if I were working for them, 617 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:20,000 but that doesn't mean anything other than we're a little different. 618 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:24,000 Here at our church, yes, we have 619 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:28,000 helped people to be delivered from spirits. And that's been 620 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:32,000 something that has taken place only in the last couple of years, as we've understood this better 621 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:36,000 and been equipped to do it. 622 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:40,000 It is not, however, a ministry that I 623 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:44,000 want to be known for, or want our church to be known for necessarily. 624 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:48,000 I see it in the context of making disciples, 625 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:52,000 in helping people to come to faith in Jesus Christ, and then to 626 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:56,000 enjoy their freedom in Christ, which is their right, their inheritance. 627 00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:00,000 And if there is satanic bondage 628 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:04,000 in their lives that is keeping them from enjoying that, then I as a 629 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:08,000 pastor want to be involved in helping them to understand who they are in 630 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:12,000 Christ and how they can be free in Christ. And so, 631 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:16,000 while this is not a big part of what we do here, it is a piece of what we do at the 632 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:20,000 church. But I do want to say that you don't have to be a pastor 633 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:24,000 to be involved in this. Anybody 634 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:28,000 who is a disciple of Jesus Christ 635 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:32,000 has the authority, the delegated authority from Christ, 636 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:36,000 to be involved in this kind of ministry to people. 637 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:40,000 It is not something that should be entered into lightly 638 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:44,000 without some preparation so that you know what you're getting into. 639 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:48,000 It moves you from wherever you are in the battle right to the front line 640 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:52,000 pretty quickly. And so, it is 641 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:56,000 not to be entered into casually, but any believer, 642 00:42:56,000 --> 00:43:00,000 any believer, it is not a spiritual gift. There are those 643 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:04,000 who have the understanding that this kind of ministry is a 644 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:08,000 spiritual gift, or that it was a 645 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:12,000 special gift given to the apostles. I firmly disagree with that. 646 00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:16,000 It has nothing to do with spiritual giftedness. It has to do with making disciples 647 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:20,000 and using the authority that Jesus Christ has given us 648 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:24,000 to help people become obedient disciples 649 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:28,000 of our Lord. In terms of 650 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:32,000 the sanctuary or our homes, 651 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:36,000 any parent can cleanse a home. 652 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:40,000 All you have to do is go from room to room in your home 653 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:44,000 and say, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I dedicate 654 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:48,000 this space to Him. And I command that if there is anything here 655 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:52,000 that is of God, that it leave. And you know what? 656 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:56,000 If you do that in faith and the authority 657 00:43:56,000 --> 00:44:00,000 of Jesus Christ, that fast is gone. 658 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:04,000 It has to flee. Now if there is a case 659 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:08,000 such as my missionary friend where there is an artifact 660 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:12,000 or whatever by which the Spirit has gained entrance to the house, you may 661 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:16,000 need to deal with that artifact. Now that doesn't mean that you go home 662 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:20,000 and throw out all your missionary artifacts. I'm not saying to do that. 663 00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:24,000 Because that's not what I'm saying. Don't take that to the extreme. But sometimes 664 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:28,000 there have been spirits identified with missionary 665 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:32,000 artifacts. The missionaries didn't know this, but 666 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:36,000 little objects or whatever were used in 667 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:40,000 animistic worship, and spirits have attached themselves to those, and 668 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:44,000 they gain entrance into a home that way. And in those cases, whatever 669 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:48,000 that is, should be gotten rid of. 670 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:52,000 If you can figure out what it is. And I think God would 671 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:56,000 show you that if that were the case. In terms of 672 00:44:56,000 --> 00:45:00,000 our sanctuary, I'm assuming that means the church sanctuary, 673 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:04,000 I would say this to you, that we have 674 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:08,000 prayer about this every Sunday morning. That's why 675 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:12,000 we have prayer meeting at 730 and at 845. 730 in 676 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:16,000 room 7 and 845 here in room 1. 677 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:20,000 A little advertisement. It is for our elders, 678 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:24,000 but it's for anybody in the church who wants to come. And we have prayer. And we ask 679 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:28,000 God's protection on the ministry of the day, and ask that He assign 680 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:32,000 angels around our property, and that He cleanse this building, 681 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:36,000 and that this space is dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. 682 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:40,000 We pray that way. And I just have to tell you 683 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:44,000 that since we've begun praying that way, this has been a number of months ago, there has been 684 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:48,000 a new sense of freedom in this ministry. 685 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:52,000 God has been doing something a little different, a little deeper, 686 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:56,000 as we have been meeting for prayer in this regard. 687 00:45:56,000 --> 00:46:00,000 So, I guess I do 688 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:04,000 want to dispel the idea that there are those who 689 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:08,000 are exorcists. I don't believe that at all. I don't even like 690 00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:12,000 exorcism, the idea of exorcism. It's pagan. 691 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:16,000 That's its origin. It's a pagan idea to use magic words 692 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:20,000 and rituals to get rid of spirits. How do we do it? By 693 00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:24,000 the word of God, by resisting Satan, 694 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:28,000 and demanding that in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, He leave. 695 00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:32,000 And at some point on the Sunday 696 00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:36,000 evening, I want to talk a little bit more about that. 697 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:40,000 And we will intend to do that, by God's grace, before we get 698 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:44,000 done with this series, to talk a little bit more about what that means 699 00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:48,000 to help someone else to gain 700 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:52,000 freedom in Christ. But our time is gone for tonight. If you have a question 701 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:56,000 that's come to mind, feel free to jot it down and just leave it here on the table 702 00:46:56,000 --> 00:47:00,000 and I'll gather them afterward. I do want us to sing. 703 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:04,000 Mark, can we employ your services in the piano? 704 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:08,000 Is that 335 there, Mark, in that hymnal that I've opened up? 705 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:34,000 335 is what I'd like for us to sing.