1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,576 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, 2 00:00:03,688 --> 00:00:06,584 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,672 --> 00:00:09,672 My name is Pastor Josh, and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,696 --> 00:00:10,760 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,616 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,648 --> 00:00:16,300 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:17,576 Now, come along. 8 00:00:17,648 --> 00:00:21,700 Let's look into the Bible and see what God has for us here today. 9 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,880 Let's go ahead and get into our Bible study here this evening. 10 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,568 And we're going to be in multiple places tonight in the Bible. 11 00:00:31,744 --> 00:00:34,864 One place that you could go that might be kind of like the launching 12 00:00:34,912 --> 00:00:38,144 point is Revelation, chapter 12, even though we're going to go 13 00:00:38,152 --> 00:00:40,528 to a lot of places, so be ready to go on that. 14 00:00:40,584 --> 00:00:44,752 Now, we've been studying Satan, and I know that that's kind 15 00:00:44,776 --> 00:00:47,376 of awkward to talk about within the church, but the Bible 16 00:00:47,408 --> 00:00:49,952 does very clearly teach us that we should be aware of who our 17 00:00:49,976 --> 00:00:52,368 enemy is and how he acts. 18 00:00:52,464 --> 00:00:57,338 The Bible says in First Peter, Chapter 5, that be vigilant, because 19 00:00:57,394 --> 00:01:00,298 our adversary, the devil, is like a roaring lion seeking whom 20 00:01:00,314 --> 00:01:00,954 he may devour. 21 00:01:01,002 --> 00:01:03,306 And the Bible says that we should be sober about this topic. 22 00:01:03,338 --> 00:01:06,378 And biblically speaking, when we talk about being sober, it means 23 00:01:06,434 --> 00:01:07,898 being serious about the right things. 24 00:01:07,954 --> 00:01:08,730 And so. 25 00:01:08,770 --> 00:01:11,402 So the Bible calls us to be serious about the attack from the 26 00:01:11,426 --> 00:01:11,706 enemy. 27 00:01:11,738 --> 00:01:14,842 And even In Ephesians, chapter 6, the Bible tells us that we are 28 00:01:14,866 --> 00:01:18,394 to arm ourselves with the armor of God so that we can be aware 29 00:01:18,442 --> 00:01:19,722 that Satan is coming after us. 30 00:01:19,746 --> 00:01:19,946 Yes. 31 00:01:19,978 --> 00:01:23,490 But also be protected from his fiery darts, those temptations. 32 00:01:23,570 --> 00:01:27,042 And so in this study so far, we've looked at what we would call 33 00:01:27,066 --> 00:01:28,338 the origin of Satan. 34 00:01:28,434 --> 00:01:28,738 Okay? 35 00:01:28,754 --> 00:01:32,898 He's a creation of God, a fallen angelic being. 36 00:01:33,034 --> 00:01:36,562 And we know that he was fallen because of that sin that he commits. 37 00:01:36,626 --> 00:01:38,354 He commits that sin of pride. 38 00:01:38,402 --> 00:01:39,634 He wants to be like God. 39 00:01:39,682 --> 00:01:40,706 He wants to be as God. 40 00:01:40,738 --> 00:01:44,530 And we studied that passage in the book of Isaiah and then of course, 41 00:01:44,570 --> 00:01:46,514 the passage in Ezekiel. 42 00:01:46,642 --> 00:01:50,312 And so we kind of understood his fall, his origin. 43 00:01:50,376 --> 00:01:50,600 And. 44 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,352 And we even looked at some of the elements in those passages of 45 00:01:53,376 --> 00:01:54,856 Scripture of his appearance. 46 00:01:55,048 --> 00:01:55,448 And. 47 00:01:55,504 --> 00:01:59,064 And then we went on further to look at how he tempts. 48 00:01:59,192 --> 00:01:59,528 And. 49 00:01:59,584 --> 00:02:02,456 And we looked at Genesis, chapter three, how he tempted Eve 50 00:02:02,488 --> 00:02:04,296 and Adam there in the garden. 51 00:02:04,408 --> 00:02:07,464 And then from there, that original lie that he told from the 52 00:02:07,472 --> 00:02:09,832 very beginning is now propagated throughout all of the 53 00:02:09,856 --> 00:02:13,192 earth forever until the end, which we're going to be talking about 54 00:02:13,216 --> 00:02:13,864 tonight. 55 00:02:13,992 --> 00:02:17,400 But what we talked about last week was Matthew, chapter four, how 56 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:18,376 Satan tempts. 57 00:02:18,408 --> 00:02:21,176 The Bible says that he is a tempter in his character. 58 00:02:21,208 --> 00:02:21,976 He is a tempter. 59 00:02:22,008 --> 00:02:25,464 Therefore he comes to us in a certain fashion. 60 00:02:25,512 --> 00:02:28,296 And how he really comes to us is in three different ways. 61 00:02:28,328 --> 00:02:30,984 He appeals to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the 62 00:02:30,992 --> 00:02:31,752 pride of life. 63 00:02:31,856 --> 00:02:34,456 And we saw that that was the same path that he took in tempting 64 00:02:34,488 --> 00:02:35,960 Jesus there in the wilderness. 65 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,744 And it's the same path that he takes with us today. 66 00:02:38,912 --> 00:02:41,896 But we also looked at in the Bible that there are other sources 67 00:02:41,928 --> 00:02:42,584 of temptation. 68 00:02:42,632 --> 00:02:44,632 We know that there's Satan, there's the world, and there's our 69 00:02:44,656 --> 00:02:45,300 flesh. 70 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,716 And, and we looked at how even in the book of James, James chapter 71 00:02:48,748 --> 00:02:51,884 one, that we cannot blame anybody but ourselves when temptation 72 00:02:51,932 --> 00:02:53,244 comes, it's a test. 73 00:02:53,412 --> 00:02:56,172 But when we give into that temptation is when we give into our 74 00:02:56,196 --> 00:02:56,652 own lust. 75 00:02:56,716 --> 00:03:00,876 And what the Bible says is sin is conceived and sin bringeth forth 76 00:03:00,908 --> 00:03:01,196 death. 77 00:03:01,268 --> 00:03:04,412 And the Bible speaks of that, that stillbirth that comes in the 78 00:03:04,436 --> 00:03:05,820 conception after. 79 00:03:05,940 --> 00:03:07,468 After that sin is, is. 80 00:03:07,604 --> 00:03:08,588 Is created there. 81 00:03:08,644 --> 00:03:11,596 So what we're going to be looking at here this week is Satan's 82 00:03:11,628 --> 00:03:12,044 demise. 83 00:03:12,092 --> 00:03:13,458 He's a defeated foe. 84 00:03:13,604 --> 00:03:16,806 And it's important for us to understand that when we are fighting 85 00:03:16,838 --> 00:03:19,590 against the enemy, we are fighting against someone who is defeated. 86 00:03:19,750 --> 00:03:21,990 We weren't the ones that did the work. 87 00:03:22,110 --> 00:03:25,094 We know ultimately it was Jesus who did the victory. 88 00:03:25,142 --> 00:03:28,166 And we sing that song, victory in Jesus, and we claim that truth. 89 00:03:28,278 --> 00:03:29,878 And we're going to see here this evening from. 90 00:03:29,934 --> 00:03:32,950 From Romans chapter 8, that we are more than conquerors because 91 00:03:32,990 --> 00:03:34,950 of what Jesus Christ has done. 92 00:03:35,070 --> 00:03:37,334 And so the victory has already been won. 93 00:03:37,502 --> 00:03:39,494 And I want us to look at that here tonight. 94 00:03:39,542 --> 00:03:41,634 So we're looking at it in three parts. 95 00:03:41,682 --> 00:03:44,594 Satan's origin and his characteristics. 96 00:03:44,642 --> 00:03:48,066 And then number two, what he's basically doing right now, tempting 97 00:03:48,178 --> 00:03:49,906 and trying to thwart the plans of God. 98 00:03:49,938 --> 00:03:52,242 He's been trying to do that throughout all of time. 99 00:03:52,346 --> 00:03:53,106 From the very beginning. 100 00:03:53,138 --> 00:03:56,114 He tries to stop the redemptive plan of God. 101 00:03:56,242 --> 00:04:00,402 And we even know that even in Jesus earthly ministry he was trying 102 00:04:00,426 --> 00:04:01,394 to stop that plan. 103 00:04:01,482 --> 00:04:03,950 But we know that God was not going to allow that. 104 00:04:04,250 --> 00:04:05,954 So now we're going to talk about the end. 105 00:04:06,042 --> 00:04:10,238 And I want us to think about when did the end begin? 106 00:04:10,334 --> 00:04:12,894 And really the end for Satan began at. 107 00:04:12,982 --> 00:04:15,806 If you want to get really technical, it started in the garden 108 00:04:15,918 --> 00:04:18,190 when God proclaimed that the. 109 00:04:18,310 --> 00:04:22,462 That the son of the seed of the woman would crush the head of 110 00:04:22,486 --> 00:04:23,410 the serpent. 111 00:04:23,990 --> 00:04:26,094 But that was the proclamation of the victory. 112 00:04:26,142 --> 00:04:30,370 But we believe that the victory was really seen and completed 113 00:04:30,870 --> 00:04:33,550 on the Cross and in the resurrection, right? 114 00:04:33,590 --> 00:04:36,350 Jesus, when he was on the cross and he was paying the price 115 00:04:36,390 --> 00:04:39,662 for our sins, the Bible says that he is the one who paid the price 116 00:04:39,686 --> 00:04:40,638 for our sins. 117 00:04:40,814 --> 00:04:44,462 He says a statement at the very end, right before he gives up 118 00:04:44,486 --> 00:04:46,926 the ghost, as the Bible says, he says the statement. 119 00:04:46,998 --> 00:04:51,102 In the Greek, it's tetelestai, In English it is, it is finished. 120 00:04:51,246 --> 00:04:53,982 And I don't believe that that's Jesus just saying that the 121 00:04:54,006 --> 00:04:55,182 crucifixion is over. 122 00:04:55,286 --> 00:04:58,574 I believe that that's Jesus saying that the work of the payment 123 00:04:58,622 --> 00:05:00,010 of our sins is over. 124 00:05:00,150 --> 00:05:03,266 And so Jesus paid the price for our sins, and the Bible speaks 125 00:05:03,298 --> 00:05:03,522 of that. 126 00:05:03,546 --> 00:05:06,738 But then we also know that if he just sat on the cross and stayed 127 00:05:06,754 --> 00:05:09,346 in the tomb, our faith would be in vain. 128 00:05:09,458 --> 00:05:12,370 And the Bible speaks of the fact that Jesus conquered death and 129 00:05:12,410 --> 00:05:14,162 hell through the resurrection. 130 00:05:14,306 --> 00:05:20,690 And so In Matthew chapter 28, we know that Jesus tells them to 131 00:05:20,730 --> 00:05:23,682 go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from 132 00:05:23,706 --> 00:05:24,082 the dead. 133 00:05:24,146 --> 00:05:27,250 So the moment that Jesus conquered death through the resurrection, 134 00:05:27,330 --> 00:05:29,230 Jesus defeated sin and death. 135 00:05:29,610 --> 00:05:32,514 And we could say that basically Satan was put on notice 136 00:05:32,562 --> 00:05:34,030 that his time was short. 137 00:05:34,410 --> 00:05:37,602 Now, for us, I hear a lot of people ask this question, why is 138 00:05:37,626 --> 00:05:42,050 God waiting so long for the judgment, the complete judgment of 139 00:05:42,090 --> 00:05:42,914 the enemy? 140 00:05:43,042 --> 00:05:46,162 And we have to understand it from the perspective of God and the 141 00:05:46,186 --> 00:05:46,978 perspective of man. 142 00:05:47,034 --> 00:05:49,810 Perspective of man, what is a hundred years is a long time. 143 00:05:49,850 --> 00:05:53,202 It's ancient for God, it's nothing, right? 144 00:05:53,306 --> 00:05:57,226 And so God is, is patiently waiting. 145 00:05:57,418 --> 00:06:00,042 And, and we are seeing it as a long period of time. 146 00:06:00,066 --> 00:06:02,458 But Satan ultimately knows that his time is short. 147 00:06:02,514 --> 00:06:05,098 And, and so let's look at that in Revelation chapter 12. 148 00:06:05,234 --> 00:06:08,122 Because in Revelation chapter 12, it basically says in so many 149 00:06:08,146 --> 00:06:10,790 words that Satan realizes that his time is short. 150 00:06:11,490 --> 00:06:16,570 And if Satan realizes that his time is short, all the more reason 151 00:06:16,610 --> 00:06:17,642 for him to get busy, right? 152 00:06:17,666 --> 00:06:18,730 And he is busy. 153 00:06:18,810 --> 00:06:20,266 He's been busy since the very beginning. 154 00:06:20,298 --> 00:06:23,922 We even saw from the book of Job that he was roaming about the 155 00:06:23,946 --> 00:06:24,194 earth. 156 00:06:24,242 --> 00:06:27,750 He was seeking after those who he could devour. 157 00:06:28,090 --> 00:06:29,698 So Revelation, chapter 12. 158 00:06:29,834 --> 00:06:33,950 And, and we look at verse 12 and, and it says this. 159 00:06:34,410 --> 00:06:37,890 Therefore rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them. 160 00:06:37,930 --> 00:06:40,898 Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea. 161 00:06:41,074 --> 00:06:42,594 Now this, this is all happening. 162 00:06:42,642 --> 00:06:43,490 This is end times. 163 00:06:43,530 --> 00:06:45,554 This is, this has not happened yet. 164 00:06:45,722 --> 00:06:48,610 But it says, for the devil has come down unto you, having great 165 00:06:48,650 --> 00:06:52,314 wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 166 00:06:52,482 --> 00:06:56,250 And so the Bible clearly speaks that Satan understands the 167 00:06:56,290 --> 00:06:58,510 timeline and therefore he's busy. 168 00:06:58,930 --> 00:07:04,266 But Satan's downfall began the moment he, as the angel Lucifer, 169 00:07:04,378 --> 00:07:05,354 rebelled against God. 170 00:07:05,402 --> 00:07:07,590 That was seen in Isaiah, chapter 14. 171 00:07:08,210 --> 00:07:12,954 God cast him out of heaven and he did gain dominion over the earth, 172 00:07:13,002 --> 00:07:14,186 if you will say that. 173 00:07:14,258 --> 00:07:17,254 The Bible does say that he is the prince of the power of the air, 174 00:07:17,342 --> 00:07:19,446 that he's the God of this world. 175 00:07:19,598 --> 00:07:24,854 And so through that allowance, now some might ask, why does God 176 00:07:24,902 --> 00:07:27,050 allow Satan to roam the earth? 177 00:07:27,470 --> 00:07:30,070 Well, we're going to study a lot of those questions next week. 178 00:07:30,110 --> 00:07:31,654 Why does God fill in the blank? 179 00:07:31,702 --> 00:07:35,638 And truthfully and theologically, God did it. 180 00:07:35,694 --> 00:07:37,398 And we might not know the why. 181 00:07:37,534 --> 00:07:39,110 Why did God allow this to happen? 182 00:07:39,230 --> 00:07:42,562 We don't ultimately know his mind in this, but we do know that 183 00:07:42,586 --> 00:07:46,338 God has allowed Satan to roam about and be. 184 00:07:46,394 --> 00:07:48,978 As we see in Revelation chapter 12. 185 00:07:49,114 --> 00:07:51,794 We're going to refer a lot to Revelation chapter 12, Revelation 186 00:07:51,842 --> 00:07:53,442 chapter 12, verse 10. 187 00:07:53,626 --> 00:07:57,378 If you go back two verses from verse 12, it says this that he is 188 00:07:57,434 --> 00:07:59,298 the accuser. 189 00:07:59,474 --> 00:08:00,274 The accuser. 190 00:08:00,322 --> 00:08:03,538 Now, why does he accuse the brethren, as it says there? 191 00:08:03,594 --> 00:08:09,270 Specifically, it says that he is the accuser in verse 10, the accuser 192 00:08:09,770 --> 00:08:10,950 of the brethren. 193 00:08:11,850 --> 00:08:13,362 Why does he accuse the brethren? 194 00:08:13,426 --> 00:08:18,674 Because it is his goal for the Christians, the believers, to doubt 195 00:08:18,722 --> 00:08:19,490 what God has done. 196 00:08:19,530 --> 00:08:21,666 He wants everyone to doubt the goodness of God. 197 00:08:21,698 --> 00:08:23,538 He wants everyone to doubt the grace of God. 198 00:08:23,634 --> 00:08:24,770 So what is he going to do? 199 00:08:24,890 --> 00:08:28,370 He's going to accuse someone of the sin that they have committed. 200 00:08:28,530 --> 00:08:31,266 Now, let's say, for example, he comes up to you and he brings 201 00:08:31,298 --> 00:08:35,857 up a sin of your past and he accuses you of that sin. 202 00:08:35,953 --> 00:08:39,601 If you are not grounded in the security of your relationship in 203 00:08:39,625 --> 00:08:44,081 Jesus Christ and what God has said is secure, then what's going 204 00:08:44,105 --> 00:08:46,513 to happen is that I'm going to revert back to my guilt. 205 00:08:46,561 --> 00:08:49,761 And we've talked about the difference between guilt and conviction. 206 00:08:49,905 --> 00:08:52,849 Romans, chapter 8, verse 1 tells us that there's therefore now 207 00:08:52,889 --> 00:08:56,081 no condemnation to those that believe. 208 00:08:56,265 --> 00:08:58,865 And so what Satan wants us to do is feel like we are condemned. 209 00:08:58,897 --> 00:09:02,192 Because if he cannot take our salvation, if he cannot take our 210 00:09:02,216 --> 00:09:05,056 eternal destination, what he wants to do is he wants to render 211 00:09:05,088 --> 00:09:08,368 us ineffective in the cause of the gospel. 212 00:09:08,544 --> 00:09:12,352 If God wants us to proclaim the gospel, which we know that he 213 00:09:12,376 --> 00:09:13,984 does, the Great Commission, right. 214 00:09:14,072 --> 00:09:18,224 God's ultimate purpose for his people is to proclaim his truth, 215 00:09:18,272 --> 00:09:19,456 and that glorifies him. 216 00:09:19,528 --> 00:09:24,080 Okay, so if that's God's ultimate plan for mankind in their 217 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,800 redemption, think about Satan in the opposite side of that. 218 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:31,110 He wants us to not do that, so Satan wants to get those that are 219 00:09:31,150 --> 00:09:34,934 unbelievers to, to be with him, to join him in their rebellion 220 00:09:34,982 --> 00:09:35,894 and their evil. 221 00:09:36,022 --> 00:09:40,102 But if he can get a Christian to believe that the accusations that 222 00:09:40,126 --> 00:09:43,702 he's bringing are true, which they are true circumstantially. 223 00:09:43,766 --> 00:09:46,550 But at the end of the day, we know that there's no more condemnation. 224 00:09:46,710 --> 00:09:49,222 So when God saves us, the Bible says that he blots out our 225 00:09:49,246 --> 00:09:52,262 transgressions, he wipes our slate clean and therefore we are 226 00:09:52,286 --> 00:09:53,462 eternally secure. 227 00:09:53,606 --> 00:09:56,054 And so what he does is he's the accuser of the brethren. 228 00:09:56,102 --> 00:10:00,130 And therefore from that point forward, that's his character. 229 00:10:00,630 --> 00:10:04,174 The Bible says in verse number nine, go back up one verse, it says 230 00:10:04,262 --> 00:10:07,930 that he is the one who deceiveth the whole world. 231 00:10:08,230 --> 00:10:09,774 So, so in this, he's a deceiver. 232 00:10:09,822 --> 00:10:12,750 This whole time up to the end, he's going to try to deceive the 233 00:10:12,790 --> 00:10:15,806 world in the truth, meaning this. 234 00:10:15,958 --> 00:10:17,982 He's trying to propagate lies. 235 00:10:18,046 --> 00:10:20,574 And ultimately the greatest lie, that we don't need God. 236 00:10:20,622 --> 00:10:21,742 That we are enough. 237 00:10:21,846 --> 00:10:23,130 That you are enough. 238 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:25,256 I just heard a preacher recently. 239 00:10:25,328 --> 00:10:26,568 I, I get myself into. 240 00:10:26,624 --> 00:10:29,496 Some of you that watch YouTube know that it can be a great distraction. 241 00:10:29,528 --> 00:10:32,440 It could be a great help, but it can be a great distraction. 242 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,104 I'll get on there and I'll be studying something for a sermon and 243 00:10:36,192 --> 00:10:38,552 listening to this one guy and then I'll be listening to this other 244 00:10:38,576 --> 00:10:41,000 guy and all of a sudden there's a video that pops up about 245 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:42,392 these really cool looking dogs. 246 00:10:42,456 --> 00:10:45,096 And then all of a sudden I'm on a dog video doing some crazy tricks 247 00:10:45,128 --> 00:10:46,392 and I'm like, how did I get down this road? 248 00:10:46,416 --> 00:10:50,604 I'm 24 minutes in and, and I just wasted 24 minutes of my life. 249 00:10:50,692 --> 00:10:52,284 But, but I heard this preacher preaching. 250 00:10:52,332 --> 00:10:55,020 He was getting up there and he said this guys, I don't buy into 251 00:10:55,060 --> 00:10:57,308 this thing of original sin. 252 00:10:57,484 --> 00:11:00,412 He says, you know, the Bible says that we are all sinners because 253 00:11:00,436 --> 00:11:00,956 of Adam. 254 00:11:00,988 --> 00:11:02,252 But you know what, I don't believe that. 255 00:11:02,276 --> 00:11:03,756 I believe that we can be good. 256 00:11:03,908 --> 00:11:05,948 I believe that God has created us good. 257 00:11:06,004 --> 00:11:09,532 And therefore, you know, you don't, you don't have a sin nature. 258 00:11:09,676 --> 00:11:11,660 That's just the lies of the enemy. 259 00:11:11,740 --> 00:11:15,056 And, and what he was doing essentially was literally propagating 260 00:11:15,088 --> 00:11:18,736 the lie of Satan that you are good, you're okay, you can make it. 261 00:11:18,888 --> 00:11:22,032 And, and so there's danger in things that sound good. 262 00:11:22,056 --> 00:11:26,672 And what Satan does is he doesn't come with lies that sound 263 00:11:26,736 --> 00:11:27,888 harmful to us. 264 00:11:28,024 --> 00:11:29,696 On the initial side of things. 265 00:11:29,848 --> 00:11:32,240 His lies are veiled in beauty. 266 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:36,880 His lies are veiled in what we would call, you know, pleasure and, 267 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,520 and, and makes maybe even worldly sense. 268 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,832 But what we can see here is that the Bible calls him the deceiver 269 00:11:42,896 --> 00:11:43,776 of the whole world. 270 00:11:43,848 --> 00:11:47,840 And that's why we can say that the world system is Satan's system, 271 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:51,424 because he has set that in motion in the, the big lie that God 272 00:11:51,472 --> 00:11:52,256 is not needed. 273 00:11:52,288 --> 00:11:58,048 And so the Bible speaks very clearly that God has prepared a place 274 00:11:58,104 --> 00:12:01,620 for the punishment of Satan and all who follow his lies. 275 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:03,696 Satan did not create hell. 276 00:12:03,728 --> 00:12:07,344 That, that is a, that is a teaching out there from some places 277 00:12:07,392 --> 00:12:11,724 that, you know, Satan created hell as his dominion and his realm, 278 00:12:11,772 --> 00:12:14,200 and he's wanting to bring people there with him. 279 00:12:14,980 --> 00:12:16,476 No, he did not create hell. 280 00:12:16,508 --> 00:12:20,508 The Bible says that God created hell for the punishment ultimately 281 00:12:20,524 --> 00:12:24,076 of Satan and of those that follow his plan. 282 00:12:24,228 --> 00:12:28,780 Matthew chapter 25, verse 41, says this. 283 00:12:28,900 --> 00:12:32,444 Then shall he say also unto them, on the left hand, depart from 284 00:12:32,452 --> 00:12:36,232 me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the 285 00:12:36,256 --> 00:12:37,816 devil and his angels. 286 00:12:38,008 --> 00:12:41,544 And so the Bible speaks of God's ultimate judgment, which we're 287 00:12:41,592 --> 00:12:43,016 going to get to a little bit here this evening. 288 00:12:43,048 --> 00:12:45,784 I, I don't know if we'll get into as much as I'd like to get into, 289 00:12:45,872 --> 00:12:49,944 but there is going to be a time at the end, and we'll get a 290 00:12:49,952 --> 00:12:51,512 little bit more into the end times here in a moment. 291 00:12:51,576 --> 00:12:53,000 But there is going to be a time at the end. 292 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,992 Whether or not you believe in this timing or this timing, that 293 00:12:56,016 --> 00:12:58,776 God is going to judge all of those in this world for their lack 294 00:12:58,808 --> 00:13:00,258 of belief, their lack of faith. 295 00:13:00,384 --> 00:13:03,102 And God is going to say at one point, depart from me, I never knew 296 00:13:03,126 --> 00:13:03,598 you. 297 00:13:03,734 --> 00:13:06,558 And he's going to place them in a place called hell. 298 00:13:06,734 --> 00:13:08,970 And it says they're with. 299 00:13:09,270 --> 00:13:12,350 Prepared for the devil and his angels. 300 00:13:12,430 --> 00:13:17,870 So Satan and his angels, or what we would call demons, that is 301 00:13:17,910 --> 00:13:20,702 the original purpose of the punishment of hell. 302 00:13:20,766 --> 00:13:23,406 And those that have rejected God will go there as well. 303 00:13:23,478 --> 00:13:27,340 Now some people will actually say this, talking about hell. 304 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,576 My God, who is a loving God, would never send anyone to hell. 305 00:13:31,688 --> 00:13:35,080 And that is a faulty statement in and of itself, because God does 306 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:36,360 not send anyone to hell. 307 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:37,736 We send ourselves to hell. 308 00:13:37,768 --> 00:13:40,840 By our rejection, God is essentially giving us what we have 309 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:41,544 desired. 310 00:13:41,672 --> 00:13:44,888 If we don't desire God, we're desiring what hell is. 311 00:13:44,944 --> 00:13:47,240 And that is the wages of sin is death. 312 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:51,192 And so if we desire sin, if we desire rebellion, if we desire what 313 00:13:51,216 --> 00:13:52,552 we would say is our own way. 314 00:13:52,576 --> 00:13:54,792 The Bible says that he will give that to us and that will be 315 00:13:54,816 --> 00:13:55,624 the judgment of hell. 316 00:13:55,672 --> 00:13:58,606 So technically, yes, he does send people to hell, but ultimately 317 00:13:58,638 --> 00:13:59,982 we are the ones that are guilty of that. 318 00:14:00,006 --> 00:14:00,926 He doesn't send us. 319 00:14:00,998 --> 00:14:04,622 He doesn't send innocent people to hell because there is no 320 00:14:04,646 --> 00:14:05,358 innocent people. 321 00:14:05,414 --> 00:14:06,270 Okay, There, there, there. 322 00:14:06,310 --> 00:14:07,086 There are none innocent. 323 00:14:07,118 --> 00:14:10,910 Now, some could argue that there are some babies or there are 324 00:14:10,950 --> 00:14:14,510 some people that have mental handicaps that cannot get to that 325 00:14:14,550 --> 00:14:17,342 place in their minds where they can understand who God is. 326 00:14:17,366 --> 00:14:18,510 And we believe that God. 327 00:14:18,590 --> 00:14:21,022 I believe, Let me say not we, because you might not believe this, 328 00:14:21,046 --> 00:14:23,290 but I do believe God extends grace to those. 329 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,312 But those who have come to a place in their life where they can 330 00:14:26,336 --> 00:14:27,320 make that judgment call. 331 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:28,584 They can make that decision. 332 00:14:28,752 --> 00:14:31,960 God is going to judge them and he's going to judge them off of what? 333 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,120 He's going to judge them, not off of their works. 334 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,952 We know that because Matthew chapter seven says that there will 335 00:14:36,976 --> 00:14:38,904 be people there proclaiming their works to Jesus. 336 00:14:38,952 --> 00:14:40,008 And he says no. 337 00:14:40,144 --> 00:14:41,896 So he does not judge us off our works. 338 00:14:41,928 --> 00:14:44,872 He judges us off of our faith, our relationship. 339 00:14:44,936 --> 00:14:46,872 Jesus says, depart from me, you worker of iniquity. 340 00:14:46,936 --> 00:14:48,232 I never knew you. 341 00:14:48,336 --> 00:14:49,846 He doesn't say, I never knew you. 342 00:14:49,928 --> 00:14:51,994 Never worked with, never saw you working. 343 00:14:52,162 --> 00:14:53,354 You never went to church. 344 00:14:53,402 --> 00:14:54,410 He says, I never knew you. 345 00:14:54,450 --> 00:14:56,266 So there was a lack of a relationship there. 346 00:14:56,338 --> 00:14:59,866 So, so, so just know that when we talk about Satan's end, he goes 347 00:14:59,898 --> 00:15:03,066 to the place that is created for him because of his rebellion. 348 00:15:03,178 --> 00:15:07,066 Same place that everyone will go if they stay in that rebellion. 349 00:15:07,258 --> 00:15:10,522 So Satan has from the very beginning been a defeated foe. 350 00:15:10,586 --> 00:15:15,082 And we know that there is a common misconception in this world 351 00:15:15,106 --> 00:15:17,162 today that I, I've mentioned this multiple times. 352 00:15:17,186 --> 00:15:21,402 And I think it's because it's so prevalent that God and Satan are 353 00:15:21,426 --> 00:15:22,170 equal foes. 354 00:15:22,250 --> 00:15:26,138 And they're like this cosmic battle of good versus evil. 355 00:15:26,234 --> 00:15:29,418 And we just hope at the end that God will come out on top. 356 00:15:29,474 --> 00:15:30,870 That is not the case. 357 00:15:32,130 --> 00:15:37,482 Every time we see God and Satan or even Jesus and Satan interacting, 358 00:15:37,626 --> 00:15:41,146 there's always an allowance from God for Satan to do anything 359 00:15:41,178 --> 00:15:42,150 that he does. 360 00:15:42,470 --> 00:15:42,830 So. 361 00:15:42,870 --> 00:15:49,086 So if you go to the book of Job, right, Satan basically was allowed 362 00:15:49,118 --> 00:15:50,890 by God to come after Job. 363 00:15:51,590 --> 00:15:54,490 There's other passages of scripture that even teach that. 364 00:15:55,030 --> 00:15:58,286 Luke, chapter 22, very interesting passage of scripture. 365 00:15:58,398 --> 00:16:02,142 Some of you that were here in our Luke series might remember this, 366 00:16:02,166 --> 00:16:05,374 or he might not remember this, but it's the point in time when Simon 367 00:16:05,422 --> 00:16:09,422 or Peter was coming to a place in his Life where he had some pride 368 00:16:09,486 --> 00:16:12,086 and he thought that he was never going to deny Jesus. 369 00:16:12,118 --> 00:16:15,014 And, and Jesus says, and the Lord said, simon, Simon, behold, 370 00:16:15,062 --> 00:16:17,078 Satan hath desired to have you. 371 00:16:17,214 --> 00:16:22,550 So, so Satan basically comes to God and desires to have him. 372 00:16:22,590 --> 00:16:25,942 And it says that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for 373 00:16:25,966 --> 00:16:29,574 thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthened 374 00:16:29,622 --> 00:16:30,650 thy brethren. 375 00:16:30,990 --> 00:16:35,398 So the Bible says that Satan desired Peter, but it was really 376 00:16:35,454 --> 00:16:39,958 ultimately the power of God that held Peter in, in the grip of, 377 00:16:40,014 --> 00:16:41,190 of, of God's security. 378 00:16:41,310 --> 00:16:44,150 And we know that, that no man can pluck us from the hand of God. 379 00:16:44,310 --> 00:16:49,350 And so Satan always has to have the allowance from, from God. 380 00:16:49,430 --> 00:16:51,462 And so some people might have a struggle with that. 381 00:16:51,486 --> 00:16:53,974 They might say why does God allow Satan to do these things? 382 00:16:54,062 --> 00:16:55,414 Again, we don't know. 383 00:16:55,502 --> 00:16:57,174 But, but what I would say is this. 384 00:16:57,262 --> 00:17:01,542 I would say that anytime there is a, an object of love, there must 385 00:17:01,566 --> 00:17:02,214 be a choice. 386 00:17:02,262 --> 00:17:07,556 And so God must allow the alternative to him to be offered 387 00:17:07,588 --> 00:17:09,440 so that there is a choice of love. 388 00:17:09,820 --> 00:17:13,764 I don't believe in robotic Christianity that everybody is forced 389 00:17:13,812 --> 00:17:16,212 to do this and that every decision that I've ever made was 390 00:17:16,236 --> 00:17:17,252 forced by God. 391 00:17:17,396 --> 00:17:18,820 Some do agree with that. 392 00:17:18,860 --> 00:17:22,196 But what I do believe is that there is a choice of love and therefore 393 00:17:22,228 --> 00:17:24,804 God has allowed for rebellion. 394 00:17:24,852 --> 00:17:29,268 Therefore we see Satan, his demons and we even know that in Mark 395 00:17:29,324 --> 00:17:33,858 chapter five, you guys know the story when Jesus is addressing 396 00:17:34,044 --> 00:17:37,930 the, the demons there and they call themselves Legion. 397 00:17:38,510 --> 00:17:41,014 It says, well I'll just read it for you here, I have it in my 398 00:17:41,022 --> 00:17:41,350 notes. 399 00:17:41,430 --> 00:17:44,070 I'll just read it really quickly for you so that you can see 400 00:17:44,110 --> 00:17:47,366 the interaction between Jesus and these demons. 401 00:17:47,558 --> 00:17:49,430 And, and he asked him, what is thy name? 402 00:17:49,470 --> 00:17:51,382 And he answered saying, my name is Legion. 403 00:17:51,446 --> 00:17:53,990 So remember, this individual is demon possessed. 404 00:17:54,150 --> 00:17:56,790 And, and we actually find out that he's not just possessed by one 405 00:17:56,830 --> 00:17:59,286 demon, but multiple demons, because that's what that word legion 406 00:17:59,318 --> 00:17:59,462 means. 407 00:17:59,486 --> 00:18:03,440 He says, for we are many and he besought him much that he would 408 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,220 not send them away out of the country. 409 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:09,712 And so what we can see here is that the demons were pleading with 410 00:18:09,736 --> 00:18:10,448 Jesus. 411 00:18:10,624 --> 00:18:14,400 Now, now it's interesting and we even know that they, they were 412 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:16,880 they, it says verse 11. 413 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,064 Now there was near nigh the, the mountains of a great herd of 414 00:18:20,072 --> 00:18:22,720 swine feeding and all the devils beside him saying, send us 415 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:23,520 into the swine. 416 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,144 So they, they even asked Jesus for, for permission. 417 00:18:26,192 --> 00:18:31,120 And so really for reasons unknown to us, but known to God, 418 00:18:31,540 --> 00:18:35,772 Satan is allowed and his demons are allowed for a time to 419 00:18:35,796 --> 00:18:37,756 do what they will to a point. 420 00:18:37,908 --> 00:18:40,940 But ultimately we know that God will judge them in, in the very 421 00:18:40,980 --> 00:18:41,560 end. 422 00:18:41,940 --> 00:18:45,644 And, and that is what we can see through many passages in the 423 00:18:45,652 --> 00:18:46,204 New Testament. 424 00:18:46,252 --> 00:18:48,652 First Corinthians, chapter 15 tells us that the end's going to 425 00:18:48,676 --> 00:18:53,068 come, that, that God the Father, after he destroys all of 426 00:18:53,124 --> 00:18:57,412 evil, he will reign over his people for forever. 427 00:18:57,556 --> 00:19:00,868 Now we know that Satan's not going to go down lightly and we're 428 00:19:00,884 --> 00:19:03,988 going to get a little bit into the, the end times here. 429 00:19:04,124 --> 00:19:07,060 And regardless of your viewpoint on the end times, I do 430 00:19:07,100 --> 00:19:09,300 believe that there are certain things in scripture that are very 431 00:19:09,340 --> 00:19:14,948 clear that that there will be an end, that Satan will be defeated, 432 00:19:15,044 --> 00:19:18,980 that Jesus will come back, and that we as believers will rule and 433 00:19:19,020 --> 00:19:19,988 reign with him. 434 00:19:20,124 --> 00:19:22,478 The Bible speaks of a millennial kingdom. 435 00:19:22,604 --> 00:19:26,202 Some people take the millennial kingdom as a figurative 436 00:19:26,266 --> 00:19:29,978 kingdom or an allegory, or that we're in the millennial kingdom 437 00:19:29,994 --> 00:19:30,282 right now. 438 00:19:30,306 --> 00:19:33,290 I don't believe that because the Bible clearly says that during 439 00:19:33,330 --> 00:19:36,170 the millennial kingdom that Satan will be bound. 440 00:19:36,330 --> 00:19:39,402 And I personally don't believe that Satan is bound right now, at 441 00:19:39,426 --> 00:19:41,306 least in my estimation of things. 442 00:19:41,458 --> 00:19:45,306 Again, this is something that I would be love to discuss with people. 443 00:19:45,378 --> 00:19:51,060 This is one of those topics in the church and in theology that can, 444 00:19:51,180 --> 00:19:53,044 that can become a distraction. 445 00:19:53,092 --> 00:19:57,124 If we allow it to be a distraction, we can talk and debate. 446 00:19:57,252 --> 00:20:01,940 But, but I think that if we allow these things to go past what 447 00:20:01,980 --> 00:20:05,284 the Bible clearly says and start to get into our gospel imagination, 448 00:20:05,412 --> 00:20:07,732 we can get ourselves in danger by our opinions. 449 00:20:07,796 --> 00:20:09,812 And you know, I think it's going to be like this or I think 450 00:20:09,836 --> 00:20:12,116 it's going to be like this, or is it going to be this way? 451 00:20:12,188 --> 00:20:15,284 You know what, I guarantee you people 50 years ago had their opinions 452 00:20:15,332 --> 00:20:17,774 on how all the things in Revelation were going to play out. 453 00:20:17,892 --> 00:20:19,642 Well, it's going to be done this way and it's going to be done 454 00:20:19,666 --> 00:20:20,138 this way. 455 00:20:20,194 --> 00:20:22,682 And then all of a sudden now we're 50 years later and we've got 456 00:20:22,706 --> 00:20:25,482 a bunch of different technology, we've got a bunch of 457 00:20:25,506 --> 00:20:29,626 different world climate situations, and now we have an opinion 458 00:20:29,658 --> 00:20:30,442 on how it would look. 459 00:20:30,466 --> 00:20:32,922 And we know exactly it's going to happen soon because this is how 460 00:20:32,946 --> 00:20:33,210 it is. 461 00:20:33,250 --> 00:20:34,538 And will it happen soon? 462 00:20:34,594 --> 00:20:37,610 Maybe I believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ. 463 00:20:37,730 --> 00:20:42,106 And so I don't think that anything else has to happen for Jesus 464 00:20:42,138 --> 00:20:42,730 to come. 465 00:20:42,850 --> 00:20:45,202 Others might argue that and that's okay. 466 00:20:45,266 --> 00:20:46,290 But what I know is this. 467 00:20:46,330 --> 00:20:49,682 We, we can be tempted to start to think that we know the day and 468 00:20:49,706 --> 00:20:51,506 the time, how it's going to be. 469 00:20:51,578 --> 00:20:54,386 But I would encourage you to go to just what Scripture says. 470 00:20:54,538 --> 00:21:00,274 And, and I believe that In Revelation chapter 16, again, if 471 00:21:00,362 --> 00:21:02,962 some of you are like, well I'd like to do a whole study in the book 472 00:21:02,986 --> 00:21:05,730 of Revelation, maybe at another point in time I'm trying 473 00:21:05,770 --> 00:21:08,210 to just hit some of these bullet point topics and try to give 474 00:21:08,250 --> 00:21:13,336 you some, some concept of the end times, specifically in the concept 475 00:21:13,368 --> 00:21:14,700 of Satan's demise. 476 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:21,208 But the Bible says that when Jesus returns, and I believe as my 477 00:21:21,264 --> 00:21:24,104 end times philosophy that this will happen. 478 00:21:24,192 --> 00:21:28,744 After the seven years of tribulation, I believe there will 479 00:21:28,752 --> 00:21:29,384 be a rapture. 480 00:21:29,432 --> 00:21:31,448 I believe the church will be raptured. 481 00:21:31,544 --> 00:21:34,280 I believe that at that point in time there will be seven years 482 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:34,968 of tribulation. 483 00:21:35,064 --> 00:21:37,272 I believe at the end of the seven years of tribulation there 484 00:21:37,296 --> 00:21:39,672 will be a battle called the battle of Armageddon. 485 00:21:39,736 --> 00:21:42,408 And we can see that in Revelation 16, 6. 486 00:21:42,544 --> 00:21:46,472 And, and it says that there will be shed of blood saints and 487 00:21:46,496 --> 00:21:49,080 prophets, that thou has given them blood to drink for they are 488 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:49,640 worthy. 489 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:51,336 And I've heard another on the Lord of the altar. 490 00:21:51,368 --> 00:21:54,376 And it goes on to talk more about the Lord God being the true 491 00:21:54,408 --> 00:21:56,008 and righteous Judge. 492 00:21:56,104 --> 00:21:56,456 Judge. 493 00:21:56,488 --> 00:22:00,568 And that's there in the third vial in, in Revelation chapter 16. 494 00:22:00,624 --> 00:22:04,380 But nonetheless there will be a battle of Armageddon. 495 00:22:04,780 --> 00:22:08,356 It won't be much of a fight because I believe the Bible teaches 496 00:22:08,388 --> 00:22:11,652 that Jesus annihilates Satan and his forces just with, with his 497 00:22:11,676 --> 00:22:12,840 word of his mouth. 498 00:22:13,180 --> 00:22:16,516 We, we can see that the Bible says that in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 499 00:22:16,548 --> 00:22:19,748 2, verse 8 it says, and then shall the wicked be revealed, whom 500 00:22:19,764 --> 00:22:22,804 the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall 501 00:22:22,852 --> 00:22:24,852 destroy with the brightness of his coming. 502 00:22:25,036 --> 00:22:28,324 And, and so I believe that this battle, this last ditch effort 503 00:22:28,372 --> 00:22:32,106 from Satan and all of his evil forces will be thwarted by the power 504 00:22:32,178 --> 00:22:33,706 of Jesus and his Word. 505 00:22:33,818 --> 00:22:37,322 And after this defeat of the battle of Armageddon, Satan will 506 00:22:37,346 --> 00:22:38,950 be bound for a thousand years. 507 00:22:40,210 --> 00:22:44,490 Revelation chapter 20, verse 3 tells us that says and cast him into 508 00:22:44,530 --> 00:22:47,642 the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that 509 00:22:47,666 --> 00:22:49,866 he should deceive the nations no more. 510 00:22:50,018 --> 00:22:53,562 So at this point in time there will be Satan will not deceive the 511 00:22:53,586 --> 00:22:54,350 nations. 512 00:22:54,690 --> 00:22:59,900 And, and most people that come from our stripe of thinking believe 513 00:22:59,940 --> 00:23:02,108 that this will be the millennial kingdom for a thousand 514 00:23:02,164 --> 00:23:03,160 literal years. 515 00:23:04,020 --> 00:23:07,036 During this time Satan says here will not deceive the nations. 516 00:23:07,068 --> 00:23:09,452 But the Bible does speak that in the millennial kingdom there will 517 00:23:09,476 --> 00:23:12,828 be some that do rebel so how do those people rebel without Satan's 518 00:23:12,844 --> 00:23:13,324 deception? 519 00:23:13,372 --> 00:23:16,204 Well, their flesh, okay, because we still have that. 520 00:23:16,292 --> 00:23:18,460 They're not us because we won't be there. 521 00:23:18,500 --> 00:23:21,628 But those that are born and then passed into the millennial kingdom. 522 00:23:21,644 --> 00:23:24,796 And those that are born in the millennial kingdom will have a fleshly 523 00:23:24,828 --> 00:23:25,084 nature. 524 00:23:25,132 --> 00:23:27,116 Therefore they have an opportunity to reject Jesus. 525 00:23:27,148 --> 00:23:30,076 And so the Bible says that during that time Satan will not deceive 526 00:23:30,108 --> 00:23:31,068 the nations. 527 00:23:31,244 --> 00:23:33,692 Another reason why I believe that Satan is still at work right 528 00:23:33,716 --> 00:23:36,124 now, because I still believe that the nations are being deceived. 529 00:23:36,252 --> 00:23:39,372 But it says till the thousand years shall be fulfilled, till a 530 00:23:39,396 --> 00:23:40,332 thousand years pass. 531 00:23:40,436 --> 00:23:42,876 And after that he must be loosed a little season. 532 00:23:42,948 --> 00:23:45,276 So the Bible says that after the, a thousand years, so there'll 533 00:23:45,308 --> 00:23:48,124 be a battle of Armageddon before the thousand year millennial 534 00:23:48,172 --> 00:23:48,492 reign. 535 00:23:48,556 --> 00:23:51,996 And then after the thousand year millennial reign, he'll be released 536 00:23:52,028 --> 00:23:52,652 for a short time. 537 00:23:52,676 --> 00:23:56,354 And at the end of that time, Satan will have one more rebellion 538 00:23:56,402 --> 00:23:59,362 against Jesus and, and his kingdom and his people. 539 00:23:59,466 --> 00:24:01,714 And then at that point, Satan's forces are going to be defeated 540 00:24:01,762 --> 00:24:02,350 again. 541 00:24:02,890 --> 00:24:06,562 And, and the Bible says, I believe It's Revelation, chapter 542 00:24:06,626 --> 00:24:08,990 20, verse 10. 543 00:24:09,530 --> 00:24:11,090 What will happen at that point? 544 00:24:11,130 --> 00:24:13,474 This is that last, that last battle. 545 00:24:13,602 --> 00:24:16,802 Satan has one last effort right there and it's, and, and this 546 00:24:16,826 --> 00:24:18,018 is, so this is Satan's end. 547 00:24:18,074 --> 00:24:20,190 This is where his, his story is over. 548 00:24:21,020 --> 00:24:21,556 Amen. 549 00:24:21,588 --> 00:24:23,348 This is a good, this is a good place. 550 00:24:23,484 --> 00:24:24,772 We're longing for that day. 551 00:24:24,876 --> 00:24:29,284 Verse 10 it says, and the devil that deceived them was cast 552 00:24:29,332 --> 00:24:33,012 into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the 553 00:24:33,036 --> 00:24:36,404 false prophet, again those are going to be two individuals in the 554 00:24:36,412 --> 00:24:39,600 end times that are going to play out Satan's plan. 555 00:24:40,220 --> 00:24:42,612 It says, where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be 556 00:24:42,636 --> 00:24:45,044 tormented day and night, forever and ever. 557 00:24:45,212 --> 00:24:49,336 So Revelation, chapter 20, verse 10 essentially tells us Satan's 558 00:24:49,368 --> 00:24:50,184 end, his demise. 559 00:24:50,232 --> 00:24:53,340 He's cast into the lake of fire and of brimstone. 560 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:55,000 That, that's, that's the end. 561 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:58,328 And there will be eternal torment, day and night, forever and 562 00:24:58,384 --> 00:24:59,032 ever. 563 00:24:59,216 --> 00:25:02,552 And so there's that one last final judgment of all those who have 564 00:25:02,576 --> 00:25:06,552 rejected Christ there in verse 11 through 15, says, and I saw a 565 00:25:06,576 --> 00:25:10,712 great white throne and him that sat on it, from whose face the 566 00:25:10,736 --> 00:25:12,040 earth and the heaven fled away. 567 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,844 And there was no, there was found no place for them. 568 00:25:14,932 --> 00:25:17,676 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. 569 00:25:17,788 --> 00:25:20,412 And the books were open and another book was open which was the 570 00:25:20,436 --> 00:25:21,400 book of life. 571 00:25:21,780 --> 00:25:24,668 And the dead were judged out of Those things which were written 572 00:25:24,684 --> 00:25:26,640 in the books according to their works. 573 00:25:27,140 --> 00:25:30,796 So, so what we can see here, a lot of people think that as a Christian, 574 00:25:30,828 --> 00:25:33,196 I'm going to be standing before the Great White Throne Judgment. 575 00:25:33,308 --> 00:25:35,596 Christians are not going to be standing before the Great White Throne 576 00:25:35,628 --> 00:25:35,916 Judgment. 577 00:25:35,948 --> 00:25:38,476 I don't believe we stand before the Bema seat, which happens 578 00:25:38,508 --> 00:25:39,114 before this. 579 00:25:39,212 --> 00:25:41,342 The Great White Throne Judgment is for those who are going 580 00:25:41,366 --> 00:25:43,182 to be judged for their wicked deeds. 581 00:25:43,246 --> 00:25:45,214 And the Bible actually says that they will be judged for their 582 00:25:45,222 --> 00:25:46,046 wicked deeds. 583 00:25:46,158 --> 00:25:48,366 They're judged for their lack of faith, and then they're judged 584 00:25:48,398 --> 00:25:49,006 for their deeds. 585 00:25:49,038 --> 00:25:51,726 And so no one can, no one wants to be judged for their deeds. 586 00:25:51,838 --> 00:25:53,822 And so it says they're judged according to their works. 587 00:25:53,886 --> 00:25:54,398 Verse 13. 588 00:25:54,454 --> 00:25:58,046 And the sea gave up dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered 589 00:25:58,078 --> 00:25:59,182 up the dead which were in them. 590 00:25:59,206 --> 00:26:01,566 And they were judged every man according to their works. 591 00:26:01,678 --> 00:26:03,966 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. 592 00:26:04,038 --> 00:26:05,456 This is the second death. 593 00:26:05,598 --> 00:26:08,236 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast 594 00:26:08,268 --> 00:26:09,852 into the lake of fire. 595 00:26:09,956 --> 00:26:11,356 So that's the end for Satan. 596 00:26:11,388 --> 00:26:16,124 That's the end for his, his minions, his demons, his angels. 597 00:26:16,172 --> 00:26:18,908 However, the Bible responds to it in different ways and then those 598 00:26:18,964 --> 00:26:21,840 that have followed the lie of the enemy. 599 00:26:22,900 --> 00:26:25,164 So I know that's a lot, I know that's a lot to take in and some 600 00:26:25,172 --> 00:26:27,276 of you like my time frames are all messed up. 601 00:26:27,348 --> 00:26:30,620 I, I, I know that and I understand that that's another study 602 00:26:30,660 --> 00:26:31,416 for another day. 603 00:26:31,508 --> 00:26:35,232 But what I will say is I think that we can all agree, okay, if you 604 00:26:35,256 --> 00:26:38,272 have a difference in timeline, that's okay, we can talk about that. 605 00:26:38,296 --> 00:26:40,288 But I think we can all agree of Satan's end. 606 00:26:40,344 --> 00:26:41,440 And that's there in verse 10. 607 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:42,640 He's cast into the lake of fire. 608 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:43,264 He's done. 609 00:26:43,352 --> 00:26:45,984 He is not going to be an everlasting creature that is going 610 00:26:45,992 --> 00:26:49,392 to continue on with his deception and his accusations and 611 00:26:49,416 --> 00:26:50,304 his evil forever. 612 00:26:50,352 --> 00:26:52,432 That there will be a final judgment. 613 00:26:52,576 --> 00:26:56,192 And God does, as we would say, make all things right. 614 00:26:56,376 --> 00:27:00,246 And I think at the end of that time there will be a lot more understanding 615 00:27:00,278 --> 00:27:03,222 for believers to understand why God allowed certain things to 616 00:27:03,246 --> 00:27:04,998 happen, why he did what he did. 617 00:27:05,134 --> 00:27:08,262 And ultimately we will there we will be on the opposite side of 618 00:27:08,286 --> 00:27:11,142 that in eternity in what we would call the new heaven and the 619 00:27:11,166 --> 00:27:15,210 new earth, ruling, reigning with Jesus forever. 620 00:27:15,630 --> 00:27:18,890 And so in one sense we could say that Satan is already defeated. 621 00:27:19,310 --> 00:27:22,710 The Bible speaks of the cross and the resurrection being the thing 622 00:27:22,750 --> 00:27:24,616 that defeat Satan. 623 00:27:24,648 --> 00:27:26,680 But it, but it And I would even say this. 624 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,728 It's possible for us to have victory over Satan even here and 625 00:27:30,784 --> 00:27:34,260 now because of our standing in Jesus Christ. 626 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,300 God has given us all the tools that we need. 627 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:41,768 The Bible has told us to allow the Spirit to guide us. 628 00:27:41,824 --> 00:27:46,008 And in so doing, we have the armor of God to protect ourselves 629 00:27:46,104 --> 00:27:47,256 from the wicked one. 630 00:27:47,328 --> 00:27:49,832 And I want us to go to our last passage of scripture here. 631 00:27:49,856 --> 00:27:53,030 And I think that this will be an important thing to see because 632 00:27:53,410 --> 00:27:56,202 in context to our victory, I want us to see that it's not our 633 00:27:56,226 --> 00:27:56,746 victory. 634 00:27:56,858 --> 00:27:59,018 We can never defeat Satan on our own. 635 00:27:59,074 --> 00:28:02,762 We defeat Satan by the power of God and the relationship that 636 00:28:02,786 --> 00:28:03,482 we have with him. 637 00:28:03,506 --> 00:28:05,498 And so go to Romans chapter eight with me. 638 00:28:05,554 --> 00:28:09,706 We'll, we'll kind of conclude the, the thinking here and then we'll 639 00:28:09,738 --> 00:28:10,470 be done. 640 00:28:11,010 --> 00:28:12,938 I know two things. 641 00:28:12,994 --> 00:28:16,602 One, I might have caused more questions for you about Satan and 642 00:28:16,626 --> 00:28:17,440 that's okay. 643 00:28:17,570 --> 00:28:20,772 We are going to stop this series of asking questions because 644 00:28:20,796 --> 00:28:22,804 I've got a lot more questions I still got to catch up with. 645 00:28:22,892 --> 00:28:25,444 So I can't open up any more official questions. 646 00:28:25,572 --> 00:28:28,148 But what I will say is that if you do personally have a question 647 00:28:28,204 --> 00:28:31,908 about Satan, demons, hell, the end. 648 00:28:31,964 --> 00:28:34,724 I would love to field those questions and answer those to the 649 00:28:34,732 --> 00:28:36,440 best of my ability according to Scripture. 650 00:28:37,660 --> 00:28:38,820 But, but let's look here. 651 00:28:38,860 --> 00:28:40,900 Romans chapter 8, starting in verse 1. 652 00:28:41,020 --> 00:28:44,212 This is where we started with the idea that as the accuser of the 653 00:28:44,236 --> 00:28:46,676 brethren, Satan is trying to make Christians feel like there's 654 00:28:46,708 --> 00:28:48,356 condemnation or judgments. 655 00:28:48,548 --> 00:28:51,012 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in 656 00:28:51,036 --> 00:28:53,960 Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 657 00:28:54,540 --> 00:28:57,316 So when you're saved, when you're, when you believe, the Bible 658 00:28:57,348 --> 00:28:58,484 says there's no more condemnation. 659 00:28:58,532 --> 00:29:03,428 There might be conviction to come back to a, a walk with Christ, 660 00:29:03,564 --> 00:29:06,116 walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. 661 00:29:06,308 --> 00:29:09,332 But the Bible says there's no more condemnation for believers and 662 00:29:09,356 --> 00:29:11,708 that there's nothing that can separate us from the love of God. 663 00:29:11,844 --> 00:29:13,420 Romans chapter 8 is one of. 664 00:29:13,460 --> 00:29:16,524 If for me, maybe not for you, But Romans chapter 8 is one of the 665 00:29:16,532 --> 00:29:20,076 most powerful passages of scripture for me because I am tempted 666 00:29:20,108 --> 00:29:21,516 to doubt, I am tempted to fear. 667 00:29:21,548 --> 00:29:24,540 I am tempted to get to a place in my life where I feel like, man, 668 00:29:24,580 --> 00:29:26,220 I don't think I can make it. 669 00:29:26,260 --> 00:29:27,356 Maybe I made a mistake. 670 00:29:27,388 --> 00:29:29,020 Maybe I made too big of a mistake. 671 00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:32,668 And I have to go back and read Romans chapter 8 over and over again 672 00:29:32,724 --> 00:29:35,560 because there's so many great nuggets of wisdom here. 673 00:29:35,940 --> 00:29:40,486 I would even and take you to verse Number let's, let's see, verse 674 00:29:40,518 --> 00:29:40,950 number 12. 675 00:29:40,990 --> 00:29:42,646 It says, Therefore, brethren, we are debtors. 676 00:29:42,678 --> 00:29:44,966 Not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 677 00:29:45,158 --> 00:29:47,638 For if you live after the flesh, ye shall die. 678 00:29:47,734 --> 00:29:51,078 But if he, through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, 679 00:29:51,134 --> 00:29:52,118 ye shall live. 680 00:29:52,254 --> 00:29:55,494 So it's speaking of that whole thing of, of dying to our flesh, 681 00:29:55,542 --> 00:29:59,254 coming to the Spirit, understanding God's direction, understanding 682 00:29:59,302 --> 00:30:00,038 God's path. 683 00:30:00,134 --> 00:30:03,718 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons 684 00:30:03,734 --> 00:30:04,410 of God. 685 00:30:04,770 --> 00:30:07,674 So if you have the Spirit indwelling you, the Bible says that 686 00:30:07,682 --> 00:30:09,978 you are the sons of God, children of God. 687 00:30:10,154 --> 00:30:14,346 This is a beautiful picture of God's adopting us into his family. 688 00:30:14,498 --> 00:30:17,950 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. 689 00:30:18,530 --> 00:30:22,506 So he says, before you had Christ, you were under the bondage 690 00:30:22,538 --> 00:30:26,234 of fear, because fear of my failures, fear of my inadequacies, 691 00:30:26,282 --> 00:30:27,290 fear of my judgment. 692 00:30:27,370 --> 00:30:31,646 But it says now that you are saved, you no longer have the bondage 693 00:30:31,678 --> 00:30:34,862 of fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption. 694 00:30:34,926 --> 00:30:36,606 So what's the spirit of adoption? 695 00:30:36,718 --> 00:30:39,486 Well, it's speaking of the Holy Spirit and the relationship 696 00:30:39,518 --> 00:30:40,558 that we have with Christ. 697 00:30:40,694 --> 00:30:43,326 And therefore, because we have a relationship with Christ, the Bible 698 00:30:43,358 --> 00:30:45,406 says, whereby we cry abba Father. 699 00:30:45,518 --> 00:30:50,190 And abba is just the endearing term that a child would call his 700 00:30:50,230 --> 00:30:51,390 father at that time. 701 00:30:51,430 --> 00:30:54,766 And so it's speaking of a personal relationship with God. 702 00:30:54,878 --> 00:30:57,422 It says the Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit that 703 00:30:57,446 --> 00:30:58,574 we are the children of God. 704 00:30:58,622 --> 00:31:01,752 So the only way that we can recognize that we are children of 705 00:31:01,776 --> 00:31:03,800 God is if we have the Spirit indwelling us. 706 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:07,064 And the Spirit indwells us through salvation through faith in 707 00:31:07,152 --> 00:31:07,784 Christ. 708 00:31:07,952 --> 00:31:11,736 And so, and if children, if we are his children, then heirs, heirs, 709 00:31:11,768 --> 00:31:15,176 meaning we receive the things that he has, heirs of God and joint 710 00:31:15,208 --> 00:31:16,024 heirs with Christ. 711 00:31:16,112 --> 00:31:20,904 If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified 712 00:31:20,952 --> 00:31:21,256 together. 713 00:31:21,328 --> 00:31:23,208 So we are identified with Christ. 714 00:31:23,344 --> 00:31:25,100 We are children of God. 715 00:31:25,580 --> 00:31:27,924 Now, there's so much more that we could talk about, but I want to 716 00:31:27,932 --> 00:31:30,160 go to verse number. 717 00:31:31,900 --> 00:31:35,252 Let's go to verse number 31, because this, there's a lot more 718 00:31:35,276 --> 00:31:35,364 here. 719 00:31:35,372 --> 00:31:36,196 There's a lot of work. 720 00:31:36,268 --> 00:31:38,612 And by the way, we're going to be having a whole study in the book 721 00:31:38,636 --> 00:31:41,092 of Romans coming up on Sunday mornings after Easter. 722 00:31:41,236 --> 00:31:44,948 So we're going to get into all of this, all the, all the nitty gritty 723 00:31:44,964 --> 00:31:47,220 of the book of Romans, Romans, chapter 8, 9, 10. 724 00:31:47,260 --> 00:31:49,268 If you know anything about that, there's a lot of good stuff 725 00:31:49,284 --> 00:31:49,908 in there. 726 00:31:50,044 --> 00:31:51,268 We can't get into all of it tonight. 727 00:31:51,284 --> 00:31:52,802 But look at verse number 31. 728 00:31:52,826 --> 00:31:54,670 It says, what shall we say then? 729 00:31:55,290 --> 00:31:57,442 What shall we then say to these things? 730 00:31:57,546 --> 00:31:59,874 If God be for us, who can be against us? 731 00:32:00,042 --> 00:32:03,602 So if God's for us, even if Satan's against us, it doesn't mean 732 00:32:03,626 --> 00:32:03,874 anything. 733 00:32:03,922 --> 00:32:07,746 If God's for us, says he that spared not his own son, but delivered 734 00:32:07,778 --> 00:32:11,122 him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give 735 00:32:11,146 --> 00:32:12,434 us all things meaning? 736 00:32:12,562 --> 00:32:20,072 If God gave us his son, if, if God allowed this to happen for us 737 00:32:20,096 --> 00:32:23,576 to come to him in faith, how much more do we need to understand 738 00:32:23,728 --> 00:32:26,168 how greatly he wants to give us good things in our life? 739 00:32:26,304 --> 00:32:28,648 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? 740 00:32:28,704 --> 00:32:29,496 We are God's elect. 741 00:32:29,568 --> 00:32:29,800 So. 742 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:31,620 So who can accuse us? 743 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:33,656 It is God that justifieth. 744 00:32:33,688 --> 00:32:35,064 No one else justifies us. 745 00:32:35,152 --> 00:32:36,712 Who is he that condemneth? 746 00:32:36,856 --> 00:32:40,056 It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again. 747 00:32:40,128 --> 00:32:43,128 Who is even at the right hand of God, who is making it, who also 748 00:32:43,184 --> 00:32:45,134 maketh intercession for us, who shall. 749 00:32:45,182 --> 00:32:46,318 And this is where it gets good. 750 00:32:46,374 --> 00:32:50,210 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation. 751 00:32:50,550 --> 00:32:50,910 So. 752 00:32:50,950 --> 00:32:54,270 So trials test no. 753 00:32:54,390 --> 00:32:58,126 Or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, 754 00:32:58,158 --> 00:32:58,894 or sword. 755 00:32:59,022 --> 00:33:01,742 As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. 756 00:33:01,766 --> 00:33:03,534 We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. 757 00:33:03,662 --> 00:33:04,910 Nay or no. 758 00:33:05,030 --> 00:33:07,662 In all these things we are more than conquerors. 759 00:33:07,726 --> 00:33:08,574 More than conquerors. 760 00:33:08,622 --> 00:33:09,454 The I. 761 00:33:09,542 --> 00:33:10,766 I believe in, in the Greek. 762 00:33:10,798 --> 00:33:13,262 I'm again, I'm not fluent in coin Greek, but the best that I can 763 00:33:13,286 --> 00:33:17,062 understand it to say, it says super conquerors, like above conquerors. 764 00:33:17,206 --> 00:33:20,342 We are more than conquerors through him that loved us, through 765 00:33:20,446 --> 00:33:21,606 him that loved us. 766 00:33:21,678 --> 00:33:25,782 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, 767 00:33:25,846 --> 00:33:28,022 nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things 768 00:33:28,046 --> 00:33:32,918 to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall 769 00:33:32,934 --> 00:33:35,670 be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ 770 00:33:35,710 --> 00:33:36,374 Jesus our Lord. 771 00:33:36,422 --> 00:33:40,342 So the Bible very clearly teaches that even Satan, the, the 772 00:33:40,446 --> 00:33:43,590 evil one, the accuser of the brethren, the one who is trying to 773 00:33:43,630 --> 00:33:46,302 deceive the whole world, he cannot separate us from the love 774 00:33:46,326 --> 00:33:46,606 of God. 775 00:33:46,638 --> 00:33:49,118 His demons cannot separate us from the love of God. 776 00:33:49,294 --> 00:33:55,326 Some have asked, you know, can a Christian, a believer, be possessed 777 00:33:55,358 --> 00:33:56,766 by a demon? 778 00:33:56,958 --> 00:34:02,010 And you know, I think a lot of times Hollywood has allowed us to, 779 00:34:02,390 --> 00:34:06,090 to get to a place where we've sensationalized that whole process. 780 00:34:07,190 --> 00:34:11,806 My, my biblical defense to that is I don't believe that a demon 781 00:34:11,838 --> 00:34:13,380 can possess a Believer. 782 00:34:13,510 --> 00:34:13,800 Why? 783 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,024 Because the Holy Spirit indwells us and the Holy Spirit and 784 00:34:16,032 --> 00:34:18,888 the demon cannot possess the same body. 785 00:34:19,024 --> 00:34:22,424 And so I would say the Bible says, be not drunk in wine, whereas 786 00:34:22,472 --> 00:34:24,104 in excess, but be filled with the spirit. 787 00:34:24,152 --> 00:34:26,680 The Bible says being filled with the spirit just basically means 788 00:34:26,720 --> 00:34:27,992 to allow the spirit to guide us. 789 00:34:28,016 --> 00:34:31,256 And so we aren't going to have the spirit guiding us and a demon 790 00:34:31,288 --> 00:34:31,672 guiding us. 791 00:34:31,696 --> 00:34:34,424 And then number two, I do believe that here in Romans chapter 792 00:34:34,472 --> 00:34:36,392 eight says nothing can separate us from the love of God. 793 00:34:36,456 --> 00:34:41,036 So therefore I don't believe a demon can possess a true love Christian. 794 00:34:41,148 --> 00:34:44,812 But what I do believe is that demons can affect our surroundings 795 00:34:44,956 --> 00:34:49,004 and, and affect our decisions, but not possess us. 796 00:34:49,172 --> 00:34:53,132 But I do know that biblically speaking, I would be wrong to tell 797 00:34:53,156 --> 00:34:55,116 you that that is not something that is a real thing. 798 00:34:55,188 --> 00:34:58,572 Like there are things in this world that we can't explain that 799 00:34:58,596 --> 00:34:59,964 are darkness that are evil. 800 00:35:00,092 --> 00:35:02,716 But as a Christian, it's nothing that we need to fear. 801 00:35:02,908 --> 00:35:05,436 It's nothing, nothing that we need to take lightly, but it's nothing 802 00:35:05,468 --> 00:35:06,428 that we need to fear. 803 00:35:06,524 --> 00:35:09,648 And then secondly, it's not anything that we need to glorify. 804 00:35:09,804 --> 00:35:15,704 I, I would say that we, and this is my, this is my challenge 805 00:35:15,752 --> 00:35:16,248 to you. 806 00:35:16,304 --> 00:35:17,752 Okay, you could take this or leave this. 807 00:35:17,776 --> 00:35:21,192 But what I will say is this, stay as far away as you can from 808 00:35:21,216 --> 00:35:26,392 the things of what some would call mystic dark magic or the occult 809 00:35:26,456 --> 00:35:30,472 or anything to do with the, the evil spirits or that, that the 810 00:35:30,496 --> 00:35:33,112 Bible and I, I could go down a whole other rabbit trail with that. 811 00:35:33,136 --> 00:35:36,360 But the Bible speaks of all of that being a path to evil, being 812 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:37,458 abominations. 813 00:35:37,584 --> 00:35:42,730 And so it breaks my heart sometimes that Christians will even 814 00:35:43,430 --> 00:35:46,622 entertain those things and allow that to become something that 815 00:35:46,646 --> 00:35:50,174 is attractive or something that they want to dive deeper into. 816 00:35:50,342 --> 00:35:53,262 And I've even heard of people like merging the two together, like 817 00:35:53,286 --> 00:35:56,334 Christians and the mystic arts and trying to do that. 818 00:35:56,422 --> 00:35:58,190 Just be very, very careful with that. 819 00:35:58,310 --> 00:36:01,726 And I don't want to get down a huge rabbit trail and going down 820 00:36:01,798 --> 00:36:02,900 specific things. 821 00:36:03,070 --> 00:36:07,640 Um, but if the Bible speaks against it or if the Bible clearly 822 00:36:07,720 --> 00:36:10,664 teaches that this is something that is contrary to the goodness 823 00:36:10,712 --> 00:36:13,220 of God, if it's not part of the light. 824 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:16,712 I, I want to take you to one last, I, I, I said one last thing, 825 00:36:16,736 --> 00:36:18,472 but again, I'm off script now. 826 00:36:18,496 --> 00:36:21,608 But I, I want you to see Philippians chapter four, because 827 00:36:21,664 --> 00:36:25,192 this is, this is again something very, very important for 828 00:36:25,216 --> 00:36:25,688 us to see. 829 00:36:25,744 --> 00:36:27,672 Philippians chapter 4, verse 8. 830 00:36:27,856 --> 00:36:30,136 What kind of things are Christians supposed to be thinking 831 00:36:30,168 --> 00:36:34,660 about, and dwelling on and, and being around. 832 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:40,420 Well, this is, it tells us here. 833 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,912 And you would say, well, am I supposed to be entertaining this? 834 00:36:43,936 --> 00:36:45,320 Am I supposed to be thinking about this? 835 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:48,152 Am I supposed to be being involved with this? 836 00:36:48,256 --> 00:36:51,336 One of the really good tests to, to go to is Philippians chapter 837 00:36:51,368 --> 00:36:52,488 4, verse 8. 838 00:36:52,624 --> 00:36:56,140 And it says, finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, 839 00:36:56,730 --> 00:37:00,642 whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever 840 00:37:00,706 --> 00:37:04,418 things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things 841 00:37:04,474 --> 00:37:06,866 are of good report, if there be any virtue. 842 00:37:06,898 --> 00:37:11,070 And if these things, if there be any praise, think on these things. 843 00:37:11,450 --> 00:37:14,098 That's what as Christians we should be filling our minds with, 844 00:37:14,154 --> 00:37:15,650 not with the opposite. 845 00:37:15,810 --> 00:37:20,466 And so again, I just want to caution you that though I don't believe 846 00:37:20,538 --> 00:37:25,718 a Christian can be possessed by, by a demon or evil, I do believe 847 00:37:25,774 --> 00:37:29,382 that Christians can allow themselves to, to cuddle up or get 848 00:37:29,406 --> 00:37:31,558 close to things that Christians should not be getting 849 00:37:31,614 --> 00:37:34,422 close to and therefore allowing themselves to get down a 850 00:37:34,446 --> 00:37:37,702 path of danger and exposing themselves to things that we should 851 00:37:37,726 --> 00:37:38,854 not be exposed to. 852 00:37:38,942 --> 00:37:41,862 And God speaks very clearly about that in the Old and, and the 853 00:37:41,886 --> 00:37:46,886 New Testament and, and pretty much the whole Old Testament specifically. 854 00:37:46,918 --> 00:37:50,770 Even like, because some of us, including myself at some point have 855 00:37:50,810 --> 00:37:51,362 said this. 856 00:37:51,466 --> 00:37:53,586 What do we need the Levitical law for, right? 857 00:37:53,658 --> 00:37:55,682 And we, we don't live by the Levitical law. 858 00:37:55,706 --> 00:37:56,322 I'm thankful for that. 859 00:37:56,346 --> 00:38:00,146 I'm thankful that I'm no longer bound by the law of, of Leviticus, 860 00:38:00,178 --> 00:38:00,950 okay? 861 00:38:01,610 --> 00:38:05,778 But the whole point of the laws in Leviticus, in Deuteronomy 862 00:38:05,954 --> 00:38:10,226 were that God, it was the idea that God would separate his people 863 00:38:10,298 --> 00:38:14,232 away from the world, like to be different than everybody else. 864 00:38:14,426 --> 00:38:17,436 And the same principle is given to Christians in the New Testament. 865 00:38:17,468 --> 00:38:20,108 It's just, we don't have to live by a bunch of rules and laws, 866 00:38:20,204 --> 00:38:23,196 but ultimately the heart of God is still that we would be separate 867 00:38:23,228 --> 00:38:25,644 from the things of this world, that we would be different, that 868 00:38:25,652 --> 00:38:28,092 we wouldn't want to look exactly like the world, that we would 869 00:38:28,116 --> 00:38:32,332 want to be foreign to the world, foreign to the ways of the 870 00:38:32,356 --> 00:38:32,636 enemy. 871 00:38:32,668 --> 00:38:35,196 Because Satan is deceiving the whole world. 872 00:38:35,348 --> 00:38:37,756 And so if we go the way of the world, we're just in the same path 873 00:38:37,788 --> 00:38:39,506 as those that are being deceived by the world. 874 00:38:39,628 --> 00:38:41,862 And so, so these are all things that, that I would caution 875 00:38:41,926 --> 00:38:46,134 you with when we study Satan and the enemy and, and evil one. 876 00:38:46,222 --> 00:38:51,254 Now again, like I said, there's, I probably scratch the surface 877 00:38:51,382 --> 00:38:55,062 on the study of Satan and who he is and what he has done and what 878 00:38:55,086 --> 00:38:56,310 he continues to do in his end. 879 00:38:56,350 --> 00:39:01,190 But I wanted to at least delve into those three main topics. 880 00:39:01,350 --> 00:39:04,630 If you have more questions, I would be willing to answer those. 881 00:39:04,750 --> 00:39:06,902 I don't know if I'll have an answer for everything that you might 882 00:39:06,926 --> 00:39:09,730 ask, but, but I did want to try to address those things that 883 00:39:09,770 --> 00:39:11,362 sometimes are not talked about in church. 884 00:39:11,506 --> 00:39:15,346 Either they're totally avoided or they're over emphasized and everything's 885 00:39:15,378 --> 00:39:16,850 a demon and everything's Satan. 886 00:39:16,930 --> 00:39:21,106 And we want to have a really healthy viewpoint on that and understand 887 00:39:21,178 --> 00:39:21,506 that. 888 00:39:21,578 --> 00:39:25,442 So, like I said, next week we'll be coming back with another 889 00:39:25,546 --> 00:39:29,362 difficult topic talking about, you know, why, why did God do this? 890 00:39:29,386 --> 00:39:32,546 And we're going to talk about some things in scripture that seemingly 891 00:39:32,578 --> 00:39:34,110 don't make sense to us. 892 00:39:34,410 --> 00:39:39,052 And you know, I think I may or may not give you guys what you want 893 00:39:39,076 --> 00:39:41,116 to hear because I know we all want answers. 894 00:39:41,148 --> 00:39:43,756 Have you ever watched, I mean, speaking of things, you ever watched 895 00:39:43,788 --> 00:39:46,540 a TV show, a good one, maybe clean one? 896 00:39:46,580 --> 00:39:48,924 Okay, but the idea that there's a mystery and you want to 897 00:39:48,932 --> 00:39:50,636 know the mystery, and they never answer the question, you're 898 00:39:50,668 --> 00:39:52,860 like, why didn't they resolve this? 899 00:39:52,900 --> 00:39:56,492 All right, there are some times in the scriptures that we get 900 00:39:56,516 --> 00:40:00,268 to a place where there isn't that clear resolution of this is 901 00:40:00,324 --> 00:40:02,870 exactly why God did this or allowed this. 902 00:40:02,940 --> 00:40:03,986 There's sometimes there is that. 903 00:40:04,058 --> 00:40:07,682 I mean, I believe the book of Job is a really good one for us to 904 00:40:07,706 --> 00:40:11,202 see that God allowed this to happen for Job, for his glory. 905 00:40:11,346 --> 00:40:14,050 And then ultimately Job was, was, was restored. 906 00:40:14,130 --> 00:40:16,562 And Job was actually abundantly blessed above what he 907 00:40:16,586 --> 00:40:17,506 had even lost. 908 00:40:17,658 --> 00:40:19,826 But, but Job didn't understand all of that. 909 00:40:19,978 --> 00:40:22,242 And, and there are other things in scripture that God does 910 00:40:22,266 --> 00:40:26,482 or he allows or he doesn't heal or, you know, why does God do 911 00:40:26,506 --> 00:40:27,026 what he does? 912 00:40:27,098 --> 00:40:29,944 I think that's important for us to dig into scripture and essentially 913 00:40:29,992 --> 00:40:32,072 what we're, I'm, I'm, I'm giving you guys too much. 914 00:40:32,096 --> 00:40:34,100 But essentially what we're going to get to is this. 915 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:35,208 We don't know. 916 00:40:35,264 --> 00:40:37,980 And ultimately we don't have the right to question God. 917 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:39,960 But we'll get there. 918 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:41,540 We'll get there and we'll talk about it. 919 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:44,584 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 920 00:40:44,632 --> 00:40:45,352 podcast. 921 00:40:45,496 --> 00:40:48,100 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you. 922 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:50,776 If you would like to find out more information about our church 923 00:40:50,808 --> 00:40:54,376 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 924 00:40:54,488 --> 00:40:57,390 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 925 00:40:57,810 --> 00:41:02,410 You can also email me directly at Josh Massaro at middletownbaptistchurch. 926 00:41:02,490 --> 00:41:03,066 Com. 927 00:41:03,218 --> 00:41:05,066 If you've enjoyed this podcast. 928 00:41:05,178 --> 00:41:09,790 Please subscribe and follow along for future podcast and updates. 929 00:41:10,130 --> 00:41:11,322 Thank you so much. 930 00:41:11,426 --> 00:41:12,234 God Bless. 931 00:41:12,362 --> 00:41:13,410 Have a wonderful day.