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Cultural Fascination with Evil

This time of year, I am always surprised at the lack of seriousness with which we generally take the occult. It is concerning to me how many of our students are entertained by the dark side of our culture. Dr. Mohler, in an article called Christianity and the Dark Side: What About Halloween?¹ that he has publish at least three times in the past ten years, places Halloween at the center of a “cultural fascination with evil and the demonic.” He says, “Over a hundred years ago, the great Dutch theologian Hermann Bavinck predicted that the 20th century would 'witness a gigantic conflict of spirits.' His prediction turned out to be an understatement, and this great conflict continues into the 21st century. The issue of Halloween presses itself annually upon the Christian conscience. Acutely aware of dangers new and old, many Christian parents choose to withdraw their children from the holiday altogether. Others choose to follow a strategic battle plan for engagement with the holiday. Still others have gone further, seeking to convert Halloween into an evangelistic opportunity.”

Is Halloween really that significant? Mohler answers, “Well, Halloween is a big deal in the marketplace. Halloween is surpassed only by Christmas in terms of economic activity.” He sites cultural experts who view “a celebration of Halloween as a transgressive holiday that allows the bizarre and elements from the dark side to enter the mainstream,” and study it by “looking at the cultural impact of Halloween on the rise of horror movies and the nation’s fascination with violence.” After a review of the origins of Halloween and the Christian response throughout history, he notes, “This fascination with the occult comes as America has been sliding into post-Christian secularism. While the courts remove all theistic references from America’s public square, the void is being filled with a pervasive fascination with evil, paganism, and new forms of occultism.”

Dr. Mohler presents the various ways that the church has dealt with this phenomenon in recent years, acknowledging that some Christians, “argue that the pagan roots of Halloween are no more significant than the pagan origins of Christmas and other church festivals.” He concludes, “the issue is a bit more complicated than that. While affirming that make-believe and imagination are part and parcel of God’s gift of imagination, Christians should still be very concerned about the focus of that imagination and creativity. Arguing against Halloween is not equivalent to arguing against Christmas. The old church festival of 'All Hallow’s Eve' is by no means as universally understood among Christians as the celebration of the incarnation at Christmas.”

Dr. Mohler says, “Christian parents should make careful decisions based on a biblically-informed Christian conscience. Some Halloween practices are clearly out of bounds, others may be strategically transformed, but this takes hard work and may meet with mixed success. The coming of Halloween is a good time for Christians to remember that evil spirits are real and that the Devil will seize every opportunity to trumpet his own celebrity. Perhaps the best response to the Devil at Halloween is that offered by Martin Luther, the great Reformer: 'The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him for he cannot bear scorn.' On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther began the Reformation with a declaration that the church must be recalled to the authority of God’s Word and the purity of biblical doctrine. With this in mind, the best Christian response to Halloween might be to scorn the Devil and then pray for the Reformation of Christ’s church on earth. Let’s put the dark side on the defensive.”

By God's providence, we talked about some of this in FUEL Wednesday night, in the context of Acts 19:11-20. I have included some notes below. I pray it will provide a good context for a family discussion on the topic.

When Paul came to Ephesus on his second missionary journey he left Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus to establish the infant church there until his promised return. While Paul is away, God raised up a new generation of church leader, in the person of Apollos, to take Paul's place in Corinth. We saw that while Apollos was competent and eloquent, he was deficient in at least one way. Apollos knew only the baptism of John, and was not teaching people about the person and work of the Spirit of God.

When Paul arrived back in Ephesus, on the heels of Apollos' ministry, he had to correct the people, and teach them about the Spirit of God. We will see that meant correcting misunderstandings about the spiritual realm, misuse of spiritual authority, and rooting out evil. Paul worked many miracles at Ephesus, as previously in Acts, opening the door for hearing the gospel and giving confirmation that God himself was working through Paul and his message. However, he encountered others who pursued a false way of working “miracles,” including some Jewish exorcists and those who practiced cultic faith in magical spells. Now this is a sensitive subject, as we have to find a balance and respect regarding the Holy Spirit and the spiritual realm.

The Power of God (11-12)

God was doing this. We are not told that Paul did these unusual miracles, but that God worked them by the hands of Paul. Luke states that these were unusual miracles, and gives an example; Paul’s handkerchiefs or aprons could be laid on a person even without Paul present and that person would be healed or delivered from demonic possession. Literally, the phrase “unusual miracles” could be translated, miracles “not of the ordinary kind.” This implies and assumes miracles of an ordinary kind. However, even if we should “expect” miracles, these are the unexpected sort! We should not expect that God would continue to use this method to bring healing, or deliverance. It was unusual for God to use handkerchiefs or aprons used by Paul in such a way. The handkerchiefs or aprons worked in the same way that the shadow of Peter (Acts 5:15) or the hem of Jesus’ garment (Matthew 14:36) might heal: the item became a point of contact by which a person released faith in Jesus as healer. So, we receive whatever is proven to be from the hand of God, but pursue only that for which we have a Biblical pattern.

Why was God acting in such a manner among these people? God delights in doing things in new and different ways. God will stoop down to meet us even in the context of, and in order to confront our crude superstitions; as had happened at Samaria (8:9–13), Cyprus (13:6–11), and Philippi (16:16–18). As we will see, the superstitious practice of magic and sorcery was prevalent in Ephesus. This never means that God is pleased with our superstition, but that in His mercy He may supersede it in order to reveal Himself and affirm the work of the gospel. The powerful forces of pagan magic and religion connected to demonic activity were confronted by the far more powerful work of the Holy Spirit ministering through Paul. But, it should not surprise us that some took a quite superstitious view of the miracles done through Paul.

Occult Religion (13-16)

Here, a group of itinerant Jewish exorcists try to imitate Paul’s “formula” for success. At that time, there were Jewish exorcists who practiced their “trade” with a lot of superstition and ceremony. There are records of extensive ceremonies and spoken formulas that Jewish people in the first century used to try to free themselves from the influence of evil spirits, but it is unlikely that these were very effective, since the people were astounded when Jesus was able to cast out demons with “authority and power” in Luke 4:36. These seven sons of Sceva, seeing the power Paul had, tried to invoke the name of Jesus. They failed because they had no personal relationship with Jesus, they only knew Jesus as the God of Paul.

Similarly, there are many people, even churchgoers, who name the name of Jesus and will perish in Hell because they have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Some of you are in this danger. You only know “the Jesus the pastor preaches” or “the Jesus my parents believe in” instead of the Jesus of your own salvation. Do you have the “right” to use the name of Jesus? These sons of Sceva did not, because they had no personal relationship with Jesus, they were not in Christ.

The spiritual danger of claiming the name of Jesus, who you don't know, is made physically obvious. The evil spirit knew exactly who Jesus was, and knew exactly who Paul was. But they didn’t know who the seven sons of Sceva were; they had no spiritual authority. A “reverse exorcism” occurred, with the demon driving out the exorcists. The man in whom the evil spirit was jumped on all seven of them, and beat them naked. Because the seven sons of Sceva had no real relationship with Jesus, they had no spiritual power, and posed no threat, and had little defense from the evil spirit. They left the encounter naked and wounded, insult to injury, their nudity enhanced their humiliation. It was dangerous for them to take the reality of spiritual warfare lightly. It is equally dangerous for us to take it lightly.

Repentance from Evil (17-19)

The incident with the sons of Sceva impressed the people with the reality of the demonic realm. Ephesus was a stronghold of Satan, where many evil things both superstitious and satanic were practiced. Apparently, before the sons of Sceva incident, many believers did not know they were involved in the occultic. They saw their actions in a far more innocent light, until they knew the reality of the demonic. It made them fear the Lord and the demonic: both in healthy ways. Spurgeon said, “You will have enough temptation in your own mind without going after these things. Is there any habit, any practice, that you have got that defiles your soul? If Christ loves you, and you come and trust in him, you will make short work of it. Have done with it, and have done with it forever.”

Many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. It is significant that these practitioners of magic came confessing and telling their deeds; it was thought that the power of these magic spells resided in their secrecy, which was renounced in the telling. They renounced the demonic by confessing and by burning their magic books. The Greco-Roman world put great stock in magical incantations and spells, often collecting them into books that sold for large sums. Converts in Ephesus bought these relics of their pagan past, disregarding whatever value they might have. The estimated total was 50,000 drachma (drachma = about a day’s wage; @ $10 an hour = $4,000,000 today). That is a lot of Harry Potter movies! Judas only got a week's wage.

What about us? Are we mindlessly engaged in the occult? Should we be removing books, movies, statues, charms, games, or whatever else might have connection with demonic spirits? It is a matter of conscience on one level; I cannot tell you for sure what you should and shouldn't have. It is a matter of wisdom on another level; what fellowship has the temple with idols? Why risk the danger of playing with the devil?

The Gospel Prevails (20)

We have seen over and over again, Luke uses this phrase as a summary statement of how the power of the gospel prevails over every obstacle and persecution. He again emphasizes the inherent power of the word of the Lord, showing that the gospel triumphs over all demonic powers. In these summary statements, Luke continues to give glory to God and his word rather than to any human skill, knowledge, or effort. At the end of the day, the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. What are you trusting in? Do you take seriously the reality of the Spiritual realm? Are you being entertained by the darkness of the occult? What risk are you taking? What value does it have?

1http://www.albertmohler.com/2007/10/31/christianity-and-the-dark-side-what-about-halloween/

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Kingdom Identity

1 Peter 2:4-12                 Online Audio         
Before I was converted, as a Sophomore in college, the closet thing I had to a mentor was an agnostic history/philosophy professor Dr. David Bowen. He was the first person to clearly articulate and intentionally seek to answer for me the three basic questions of life; Who am I? How did I come to be? Why am I here? These are basic philosophical questions that have been asked since the beginning of recorded time. As human beings, we find the most basic answers to these question in Genesis. As believers, we find specific answers in Acts. However, perhaps nowhere do we find, as Piper says, "such resoundingly clear answers to all three questions in such a small space," as we do in this passage.

I. Jesus is the object:

"As you come to him," indicates a personal relationship with Christ, a drawing near, beginning at but not limited to the time of conversion. Spiritual exiles have been called to faith in Christ, and therefore, ought to live as People of God. Our identity is that of a kingdom people, it is a Kingdom Identity.

In creation, we were made in the image of God, and ours was a garden identity; the consequence was to be fruitful and multiply. In the fall, we fell under the likeness of Adam, and ours was a slave identity;

the consequence was the bondage of the will and slavery to sin. In redemption, we were raised up into the likeness of Christ, and ours is a kingdom identity.

Jesus is the object of the passage. This is important, as we will talk about our Kingdom Identity, we must start with the foundation and absolute truth that our kingdom identity is in Jesus Christ. While we come into the kingdom individually, our Kingdom Identity really has very little to do with us individually.
We are all created in the image of God, and fallen in the likeness of Adam. That is our human identity. Our kingdom identity comes from dying to self and being given the life of Christ. That spiritually dead self, and all of its allegiance to the ruler and power of this world, was put to death on the cross, and by grace, through faith in Christ, we have been raised with Christ to newness of life. All we have is Christ.

1. So, just as Jesus was rejected by men; His followers suffer persecution.

2. But, just as Jesus is God’s elect (chosen) one, the firstborn of all the elect; His followers are God's elect, chosen and given as a gift to Christ before the foundation of the world.

3. Therefore, just as Christ, risen from the dead and hence, is the living stone, the foundation of God’s

new temple, the exalted Lord, honored above all as King of kings and Lord of lords; His followers are living stones in God’s new temple, and as believers continue in fellowship with Christ they “are being built up as a spiritual house.”

II. Worship is the analogy:

This is the analogy of 1 Peter 2, Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, and those who have faith in Christ are being made into His temple. We get our identity from God, and it is, in fact, our relation to God in Christ. Since the components that make up the house are “living,” the house itself is also growing. You yourselves … are being built up.

Peter’s picture here is that God is building a spiritual temple using living stones, those who have come to the ultimate Living Stone (Jesus). God does the work of building. A stone can not make itself alive, and even a living stone cannot build itself up into a temple. It requires a builder, and it requires the unity of many stones being fit together into a structure. What God does in us together is important; He is constructing and instrument of His glory out of us.
Peter sees clearly that the Old Testament temple anticipated the new temple (His people) where God dwells and is worshiped, and both the old and new are but pictures of the real temple of God; the throne-room of heaven. As much as the nation of Israel was chosen by God, so the Church is called from among every tribe and tongue and nation. As much as Israel had a physical temple, Christians are themselves a spiritual temple. As much as Israel had a priesthood, so Christians are a holy priesthood. And as much as they had sacrifices, so Christians offer up spiritual sacrifices. As we get closer to the reality of the kingdom of God, the clearer the pictures become.

To support this idea that Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s temple, Peter cites Isaiah 28:16. Starting in verse 6, For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
 a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected
 has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Those who trust in Christ will be rejected by men, as He was, but ultimately, they will not be put to shame, but will be eternally vindicated in the resurrection of Christ. However, those who reject the living stone (a cornerstone chosen and precious), for those who do not believe, that cornerstone has become;
A stone of stumbling - Those who reject Him, refusing to build on Him, instead stumble over Him.

It is no wonder that it is the truth of Jesus Christ that reveals the unbelief of the fleshly heart.

And a rock of offense - Instead of being their salvation, Jesus becomes to them a rock of offense.

We must be careful that, when proclaiming Christ to the world, we do not become the cause of their stumbling, or the source of their offense. We must get out of the way, so that they might either believe or find offense in the rock of stumbling. We are to become as nothing, all things to all men, not only because Jesus is the cornerstone of Psalm 118 and the foundation stone of Isaiah 28, but He is also the stumbling stone of Isaiah 8.

Jesus quoted this passage from Psalm 118 in regard to Himself in Matthew 21:42-44. Talking to the Jews regarding the kingdom of God, Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits." When Jesus spoke of Himself as the stone of Psalm 118, He spoke of what those who rejected Him are appointed to: And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder. (44)

Peter does not deny human responsibility; their stumbling is their own fault. They stumble because they trip over the righteousness of Christ, and disobey God. Those who have rejected, stumble because all sin and fall short of the glory of God, and even though God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned. They stumble because, whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Apart from Christ, we are dead and dying, and destined eternally to death. However, we see already that in Christ, we are a chosen temple for Christ; chosen by God in Christ, for Christ; elect to be a house of worship; made both alive and precious by the grace of God, for the glory of God, in the face of Christ. But believers are not only God’s temple, but are also a holy priesthood; which offers spiritual sacrifices; not the animal sacrifices of the OT, but living sacrifices of whole lives lived in praise to God;

that are made acceptable through Christ; not having any priestly authority in ourselves, but only through Christ is our offering made acceptable.

As you come to him, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to make making spiritual sacrifices.
III. The Identity of God's People:
Peter expounds and explains the realities that are brought forward by this picture of a chosen temple and holy priesthood in the first part of verse 9, But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. Collectively, the individual living stones are built together (the chosen race) into a house and a priesthood, a holy nation and a particular people.

The Church is a chosen race.

God’s grace, rather than human choice, is the ultimate explanation for why some people come to faith and others do not. We are a chosen race; therefore there is no distinction of race in the kingdom of God.

There is both a corporate and individual implication because the chosen race is not racial, but is a new people from among all peoples. God has chosen some to be adopted as His people; as a result, our identity is relational, not ethnic; "chosenness," not color or culture. Piper concludes, "you are part of the chosen race because the race is made up of individuals who were chosen - from all the races." Therefore no one can boast of being included!

Peter views the church as a new Israel, (or being made part of the people of God) for he picks up what is said of Israel in Exodus 19:5&6 and applies it to the Church. The things that once exclusively belonged to Israel; their election, priesthood, and calling, are now no longer the property of Israel alone. Those who are in Christ have been grafted in, and possess them in a greater, more full spiritual sense. So that Paul can say in Ephesians 1:3-6, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

The Church is a royal priesthood.

The offices of royalty and priesthood were jealously separated in Israel, but Jesus, who is our King and Priest, has brought them together for His people. Our priesthood is one not only of worship, but dominion.
Priesthood relates access to God. Those who trust in Christ are as priest before God; not needing any mediator except Christ, our great High Priest. As we have seen in Hebrews 7, this is one way that the new covenant is better than Judaism, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 

Priesthood relates an active role before God. We are ministers before God, offering up our lives as a spiritual service of worship. The is no christian or secular activity for the believer, all of life is priestly service. As Romans 12:1 makes clear, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

The Church is a holy nation.

You are set apart by God, for God. Since he is holy, we have been made holy. We share in His character both as the one who set us apart, and who is our King. It is hypocrisy (a lie) to act out of this holy character, saying with your actions that you are something you are not; treasonous to be a citizen, and act like you are not. The implication is that we are not made part of a holy nation, we are not holy because the nation is holy; we are a holy nation, the nation is holy because we are made holy. Both as the one who set us apart and rules over us, He makes us holy and commands us to be holy; even as He himself is holy.

The Church is a people for His own possession.

A museum may be filled with quite ordinary things: hats, canes, shoes, and so forth; but they are significant because they once belonged to someone famous. God takes ordinary people, and because He has taken them, they are special. Our identity is so tied to this idea of possession, that it is repeated in verse 10, Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. Peter alludes to texts in Hosea 1 and 2 that refer to Israel and again sees them fulfilled in the Church. This is at the heart of the Gospel; this is reconciliation and adoption.
We once were without these privileges, and were not even a people before God. We had not seen the mercy of God, but now have obtained mercy. In our culture, with its Christian foundations, we don’t understand the tremendous sense of privilege and relief that came to Gentiles as they were able to share in the New Covenant with the God of Israel. Peter’s message is nonetheless wonderful: “You didn’t used to belong, but now you belong to God and among God’s people.” You are a chosen race, You are a royal priesthood, You are a holy nation, You are a people for His own possession; that you may proclaim the excellencies of Christ.

IV. Consequence of this Kingdom Identity:

The First consequence of this identity in Christ is that we to be proclaimers of Christ; (vs. 9b) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession; that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. As God’s chosen ones, Christians are to proclaim the excellencies of the one who summoned them from darkness and ushered them into his marvelous light.

The Second consequence of this identity in Christ is that we are to live as citizens of a spiritual kingdom; (vs. 10) now you are God's people; now you have received mercy. Having received mercy, and being reconciled to God, we are citizens of His Kingdom. The purpose for these high privileges is not so we can grow proud, but so that we can bear witness to the excellencies of Christ; the chief cornerstone, our great High Priest, our King who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Therefore, in verse 11, we are identified, in this world, as sojourners and exiles:

Sojourner; a stranger, one who lives in a place without the right of citizenship, in this world.

Exile; a pilgrim, one who comes from a foreign country into a city or land to reside there by the side of the natives; in but not of this world.

As sojourners and exiles, we should live as though this is not our home. As a result, we are to live as kingdom citizens, according to our Kingdom Identity.

1) As citizens of the kingdom of God we should abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against our soul. The primary spiritual battle we fight is against the sin of our flesh. This battle is waged in our minds, and sin uses the members of our body against us to destroy our soul. We are a holy people, citizens of a holy nation, who serve a holy King, who intercedes to make us holy.

As sojourners in an unholy land, we must fight to not marry ourselves to the pagan tribes, For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
 and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
 Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
 then I will welcome you,
 and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
 says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

2) As citizens of the kingdom of God we should Keep our conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against us as evildoers, they may see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Peter refers to unbelievers as Gentiles, which is in keeping with his understanding of believers being a people of God and unbelievers being not a people. We are to live godly lives, so that when we are reviled by unbelievers, persecuted for Christ, called evil because of our faith (which is quickly becoming more of a reality in our culture), the outworking of Christ righteousness in us, our sanctification, will be an instrument for God's glory.

As pilgrims living among a lost people, Peter clearly points us to Matthew 5:13-16 here, You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Some unbelievers will repent and believe and thus glorify God, as a result (as God uses means) of our testimony. However, on the day of judgment, every knee will bow and every tongue confess, as God brings all things together in unity and submission under the feet of Christ, for the praise of the glory of His grace.

Therefore, I urge you (unbeliever) to fall on the mercies of God; crying out to the Great High Priest for salvation; that his intercession on the cross might be for you (taking on your sin, and putting in you His righteousness); that in Christ, you might be adopted into the family of God and made a child of His own possession.
God has given us our identity in order that the excellency of His identity as the one who choses and reigns, intercedes and makes holy, and possesses us might be proclaimed thorough us.
Therefore, I urge you (Morningview) as sojourners, as exiles; to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul; to keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

http://www.morningview.org/2012/10/22/sermon-kingdom-identity/