Walk in the Light
How is a Christian to Respond to Halloween
and the Works of Darkness?
Ephesians 5:11,12
Walk in the Light
How is a Christian to Respond to Halloween
Ephesians 5:11,12 |
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Oct 25, 2015 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I.
Introduction (Ephesians 5:11,12)
A.
All throughout history, pagans in every culture have consulted dark arts
for help
1.
Seances, casting spells, sacrificing their children, channelling,
levitations, seeking visions and miracles, signs and wonders in the sky,
terrified of death and darkness
2.
People all their lives lived in fear of death – fear of the dark – fear
of demons
3.
The religious leaders used people’s fear to their advantage – it made
them rich
B.
Along came the Bible, and God said have nothing to do with these things…
1.
People don’t HAVE to fear death anymore
2.
Don’t have to fear the darkness, and the devil
3.
Because the darkness of this world has been defeated. John 12:46
I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me
should not abide in darkness.
C.
Do you know what is so sad?
People love darkness rather than God – hate the light – don’t WANT life!
(John 3:16-20)
D.
Why?
Because their deeds, works, lifestyles of mankind are evil
1.
75% of all TV programs and movies are full of adultery, fornication,
hatred, envy, lust, thievery, blasphemies, rebellion, stubbornness
2.
Dark arts, dark acts, dark words, and dark thoughts FILL bookshelves
3.
It is said that 40% of all internet traffic is porn
4.
The predominate music for the past 60 years has been rock music, and
rock music is simply all about sex, drugs, and rebellion – and people
love it
5.
Because men LOVE darkness
E.
And so we come to Halloween (Luke 22:53)
1.
Innocent fun?
2.
Just another bank holiday?
3.
Safe for children, and teens and adults?
4.
A bit of fear never hurt anyone, huh?
F.
Well, I may not be able to influence all the Dunnes Stores, and all
Parents “out there”, but for those of us who love God, and love this
Bible, I want to do two things
this morning:
1.
Firmly influence the people of this church, to walk in the light, and
have nothing to do with the darkness of Halloween!
2.
And secondly, get everyone to worry about staying clear of EVERY work of
darkness, and not just the Halloween kind of things. You will see what I
mean I we go through this study!
3.
You see, the devil is not active only on ONE day out of the year…
II.
Message
A.
A Clear Command (Ephesians 5:11,12; 1Thessalonians 5:22)
1.
To most people, everything is just a laugh today (especially dark things
– shameful things)
a.
Halloween costumes - demons, monsters, vampires, werewolves, ghosts,
mummies, and psychopaths
b.
Haunted houses
c.
Horror movies are big money
d.
And then there is Mrs Brown’s Boys – a big laugh
e.
Rory O’Neill – the “Queen of Ireland!”
f.
And even Abortion is just like getting a wart removed.
It’s a big laugh. It’s a woman’s choice. It’s not a big deal! The
foetus is not even human!
g.
And then we are all told to take Climate Change, Ebola, and life in
outer space seriously!?
2.
God’s people do NOT live in the dark – we have been given light (Exodus
10:21-23)
3.
Therefore, We are COMMANDED:
a.
To NOT do like the wicked around us (Prov 4:14,15)
b.
Have no fellowship with the
works, deeds, lifestyles of darkness (Eph 5:11,12)
c.
Abstain from anything that
even appears evil - not join in with any of it – no parties, no
trick-or-treating (1Thes 5:22)
4.
Examples:
a.
NONE of us would join in with a rioting crowd of people walking down a
street carrying knives… would we? Then, WHY would we dress up and ACT
like, LOOK like we are going to go stab people???
b.
This past week I was in Cork City and past by a college aged woman who
walked by me with a gash across her cheek – it looked quite fresh and
like it had just been sewn up. I was shook-up that she had experienced
such a tragic accident
c.
Then,… I passed another young lady, with another bloody gash on her
face. And then a young college aged man who had blood on his neck and
his shirt, like someone had attempted to cut his head off!
d.
I fear for those young people!
5.
We are COMMANDED to get rid
of dark things in our lives (2Cor 6:14-17):
a.
For what fellowship hath:
1)
Righteousness
Unrighteousness
2)
Light
Darkness
3)
Christ
Belial (Satan)
4)
He that believeth
An infidel (Bible Rejecter)
5)
The temple of God
Idols
6)
So, Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing
b.
What purpose would any Christian have reading horoscopes?
c.
Or, Consulting with Witches (i.e., the white witch of Cork) and fortune
tellers?
d.
Channelling? Repeating specific words and phrases over and over in a
hypnotic state so that another power, spirit starts to speak through
you!
e.
Casting Spells? Like Harry Potter
f.
Oui Ja boards? Trying to talk with spirits
g.
Séances? The Bible calls is Necromancy (intimacy with dead people)!
6.
The clear command is, HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE WORKS OF DARKNESS, But
rather, REPROVE them (Ephesians 5:11). Which is what I am doing this
morning!
B.
A Holy God (1Peter 1:14-16)
1.
That means He is clean, good, pure, full of light - No darkness at all
(1John 1:5)
2.
We are supposed to be just like HIM!
a.
Remember, Christianity is not getting God in our back pocket, to use
when we need Him
b.
Christianity is about being forgiven, and washed on the inside, and
cleaned up, and following Jesus so that we can be more and more LIKE
HIM!
3.
You know what? You will become what you worship!!!
a.
Worship money? You will become cold, hard, and empty just like it is
b.
Worship lust? You will so selfish and fake just like the porn you are
addicted to
c.
Worship pleasure? You will become used and abused by everyone else also
seeking selfish pleasures
d.
Worship idols? You will end up lifeless just like them (Psalm 115:4-8)
1)
4 Their idols are silver
and gold, the work of men's hands.
2)
5 They have mouths, but
they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
3)
6 They have ears, but they
hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
4)
7 They have hands, but they
handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they
through their throat.
5)
8 They that make them are
like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
4.
That’s why it is so important that in your home, in your life, you
thoroughly seek to be more and more like the living Lord Jesus! Because
only HE can make someone holy!
C.
A Destroying Devil (1Peter 5:8)
1.
He is Very Real - Not make believe
a.
There are very REAL witches (Gal 5:19,20)
b.
Real spells – charmers (Deut 18:10,11)
c.
Real fears – don’t mock them, don’t play with them
d.
Real demons
e.
There is a Real hell
f.
Funny how modern man has decided all THESE are fake!
g.
But half of the population of the rest of the world has seen and
experienced the devil in all his gore!
2.
He is Very Deceptive
a.
Appears as angel of light – especially in the modern, western cultures
b.
He has ministers of righteousness – good people, who aren’t harming
anyone!!!
c.
But he is the best Liar, deceiver, trickster – the father of lies!
d.
Very capable Miracle worker – if you see a miracle today, it most
probably is of the devil, and not of God! Lourdes? Fatima? Medjugorje?
Miracles maybe - FALSE MIRACLES for certain!
e.
And his goal is the same as always – to lure ignorant, stubborn,
pleasure seeking people to their doom!
3.
He is Very Powerful
a.
Second most powerful being in the universe
b.
He is called:
1)
The god of this world – the being that is most worshipped by people
2)
The prince and the power of the air – controls disasters, hurricanes,
earthquakes, tornadoes, train wrecks, …
3)
The son of perdition – the son of hell!
4)
The great dragon
5)
The prince of this world (John 12:31)
6)
Our adversary, our most powerful enemy (1Peter 5:8)
4.
He is Very destructive (John 10:10)
a.
Satan has NEVER done ANYTHING good for anyone… EVER!
b.
Destroys Christian lives
c.
Destroys Christian testimonies
d.
Destroys children and teenager’s lives
e.
Destroys marriages
f.
Hardens people’s hearts
g.
Fills them with every ungodly demon
5.
WHY WOULD ANYONE “PLAY” WITH SUCH A CREATURE????
D.
There is A Lot to Work On
1.
A lot of this applies to Halloween
a.
No Christian in this room should have anything to do with the
celebration of Halloween
b.
You shouldn’t give out candy at the door
c.
You should not decorate your home with witches and ghosts and
jack-o-lanterns
d.
INSTEAD… You should come out to CHURCH here and listen to preaching and
singing, and have LIGHT, and FUN, and be separate from all the
wickedness out there!
2.
But rejecting the fellowship with the works of darkness goes much
further!
3.
Having a paper witch on your
door is NOTHING like:
a.
Having lust of women in your
heart! Pornography (a work of darkness for sure)
b.
Holding onto and protecting
Anger, Hatred, Wrath towards anybody – holding onto any of it is
wicked, ungodly, just like witchcraft (Col 3:5-10)
c.
Withholding forgiveness and kindness
simply because you don’t think someone is worthy of it. HEY! That is a
work of darkness just as much as studying incantations and spells are!
d.
How about Lying? Are you an
easy liar? THAT IS AN EVIL WORK OF THE DEVIL! No Christian should EVER
be known as a liar
e.
How about Covetousness?
Covetousness is the same as IDOLATRY (Ephesians 5:5)
f.
Stubbornness,
hard-hearted, unwilling to say that GOD is RIGHT, and do things HIS way!
It is wicked! It is from the devil!
4.
Ladies and gentlemen, We are called
a.
OUT of darkness (1Peter 2:9)
b.
To separate ourselves from anything that is against Christ (2Cor 6:17)
–so that we can be different, peculiar!
c.
To cast-off works of darkness (Romans 13:12) – throw every one of them
OFF from you – like they were a big hairy spider on your arm!!
d.
Will you respond?
5.
And then, replace all of it
a.
Put ON armour of light, and the armour of God (Romans 13:12-14)
b.
Don’t be afraid anymore (2Tim 1:7)
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and
of love, and of a sound mind.
c.
Arm ourselves (Ephesians 6:11-13)
d.
Wrestle (Eph 6:12; Acts 26:18)
e.
Make LIGHT our way of life – no longer dark ways of living (Eph 5:8-11)
6.
Why? Because we have already won (Col 1:13) So, Rejoice as victors!
Sing, rest, laugh, and be glad! We are no longer in darkness!
III.
Challenge
A.
Here are the truths to settle
1.
Yes, Halloween is evil – out of hell – not for any Christian!
a.
It is not just Innocent fun. Want fun? Have it another way!
b.
It is NOT safe for children, and teens and adults. Demons and sin is
never safe!
c.
A bit of fear never hurt anyone, huh? Well, the only fear anyone ever
really needs is the fear of God!
2.
God will give people what they fear
a.
You want darkness? God will darkness the sun and the moon in the near
future time called the Tribulation
b.
You want zombies? During the Tribulation, people won’t be able to die
c.
You want aliens from another planet to stop by and say Hi? Well, they
are coming, but they won’t be aliens, they will demons and devils of
hell
d.
You want disasters? Well, entire islands will disappear, entire cities
will lie in rubble
3.
Witches, warlocks, demons, ghosts, are NOT anything to be feared - GOD
is!
4.
Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, came to this world, and defeated
darkness, Satan, Sin, AND even DEATH!
B.
You have a Choice to Make (Micah 4:5)
1.
The world around us is going to follow their god
2.
We need to follow OURS!
3.
Yes, this world is more wicked, more violent than ever
4.
But we CAN be holy
5.
We CAN live separate
6.
And we CAN have fun that way
7.
IF… we abstain, and stay away from the works of darkness, and walk in
God’s Spirit!
C.
Illustration
1.
Ships sink not because they are surrounded by water. They sink because
water get in in them
2.
Christians sink and fall, and mess up, not because of sin all around us.
It is when we allow sin IN us, and don’t plug the leak!
D.
Yes, the whole world will laugh at you and me because we take some
things very seriously
E.
Are YOU going to laugh at the Bible? Is the question!
1.
Prov 14:9
Fools make a mock at sin: but
among the righteous there is favour.
2.
They Make a big laugh at evil.
3.
But if you want your children to know Christ, love good, do true good,
and love God, then:
a.
Follow after Christ in your daily life, habits, thoughts, living!
b.
Take His commands seriously – like, abstain from all appearance of evil!
c.
Seek to be holy – Biblical holiness, not “catholic”
d.
Fear believing the devil’s lies
e.
Work against everything that is dark in your home, in your thoughts, in
your heart
f.
Rejoice as victors
g.
Walk in Christ’s light!
F.
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