Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church (based on Illustration #4190)
Ledgewood, New Jersey
October 26, 1997
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
I. The night of the living dead.
A. A scary movie.
Boy Scout camping trip in Army resort in Garmish, Germany.
Take time to watch movie in hotel theater.
Classic horror movie, black and white.
Virus causes dead people to resuscitate, they come back to
feed on living.
As ghouls stumble through house, hero has to kill them.
We have to crawl back in our tents in the woods...
B. Halloween makes Christians uncomfortable today.
1) Cave in, accept it whole-hog.
a) Devout treat you as a Satanist?
b) New Agers relish the druid underpinnings.
2) Total opposition.
a) We cannot be united with Satan.
b) Any compromise sends wrong message.
3) Convert it - adopt with adjustments.
a) Conversion to Harvest Festival.
b) Similar idea to what first Christians did.
II. Original meaning of Halloween.
A. Pagan festival in autumn, called "sowein."
1) Druids were high priests of pagan Britain, dark ages.
2) Trick-or-treating, jack-o-lanterns, even ducking for apples
has a druid background.
B. Adapted by Christians.
1) Pope Gregory III in the 700's made it a holy day.
a) "Halloween" means the evening of a hallowed or holy day.
b) Pre-Christian practices lingered.
2) New theme: remember and honor Christian saints.
a) Halloween is properly a Christian day, not Satan's.
C. Important themes are involved in Halloween.
1) Honor the worthy dead.
2) Be prepared to die.
3) Be aware of evil.
III. Honoring saints.
A. Meaning of saint.
1) Catholic: super-Christians.
a) Emulate them, pray to them.
b) They can help you from heaven.
c) Especially important for helping out of purgatory.
2) Bible: saint is any genuine Christian.
a) Typical expression for living and dead believers.
b) Means someone who is "set apart" for God.
1> Since many Christians are not, saint came to stand
for special ones.
3) Paul tells us to emulate them, not pray to them.
a) Prayer in Bible is always to God alone.
b) But it is proper to recall good Christian lives.
B. Exemplary examples.
1) Doris Schrum:
"Mom" Rockefeller, high school Sunday School teacher.
Helped her grow as a Christian, but much more.
Her parents were divorcing at this time, and Mrs. Rockefeller
was a substitute mom, even teaching her how to cook.
2) Cathy Burd:
Grandfather.
Lived with family till Cathy was 12 (then he died).
Committed and gave every situation to the Lord.
Very godly, taught her to pray.
She cannot remember exact moment she believed, but it was
her grandfather who lead her to faith in Jesus.
She still thinks of him every day.
3) Leonard Canfield:
Mrs. Willihan and Naomi Pequeen.
Both had a consistent Christian lifestyle.
Naomi introduced him to beauty of Christian music.
4) Trinka Osborne:
Rev. Keyes.
Pastor in Florida.
Gave Trinka a love for Bible study.
Showed its background, gave depth.
She remembers him teaching that the duty of Holy Spirit is
to glorify Jesus, the duty of Jesus is to glorify Father,
and our duty is to glorify all of them.
5) Diane Sloane:
Trinka Osborne - but she's not dead yet so doesn't count.
C. Who are we influencing for eternity?
1) People look at your lifestyle.
a) A positive, loving attitude is important.
b) Piety - foundation of what makes you different.
2) Americans are broadly religious, but shallow.
a) Everyone believes a little.
1> Do we have convictions?
2> Does it make a difference in way we live?
3> "Live a life worthy of calling you have received."
b) We could lose in one generation (like Canada has).
1> (National Geographic)
IV. What happens when we die?
A. Everyone wants the dead to come back.
1) Grieving people often sense presence of loved one.
2) Man who led me to Lord - slept in beloved grandpa's house,
heard noises, woke up with a start to feel a hand
on his arm. Made hair stand on end.
B. Teaching of Bible on death.
1) Dead can't come back on their own.
a) Rich man and Lazarus. Luke 16:19-31
b) The Bible must be enough to influence living.
1> Ghosts are believed in, but not substantiated.
2) Someday God will bring back everyone.
a) Rapture of Christians. 1 Thess 4:13-19
1> End of age, before Second Coming of Jesus.
2> All believers are transformed, happens to dead first.
3> Living ones will never die, Enoch event.
b) Resurrection involves everyone.
1> Evil as well as good people. John 5:29
A> Not for salvation, but judgment.
2> Not just Hitler, but all who reject God's will
(& Jesus).
C. Establishing your destiny.
1) Are you born again?
a) Only way to get to heaven, according to Jesus.
b) Spiritual rebirth can only happen in this life.
2) You can have confidence in your destiny.
a) Based on promises of Jesus.
b) If you are relying on good words, you will be shocked.
D. Saving your family.
1) Loved ones slipping?
2) Loved one not there?
a) Wishing doesn't make it so.
V. Evil is real.
A. Proof in human history.
1) (Berlin's last days, from Kristalnacht to rape by Russians)
2) People are capable of horrendous deeds.
3) Satan is real.
B. Evil should be confronted.
1) Great confrontations in history.
Boniface, missionary to Germans, confronted a mob of pagans
in Hesse in AD 713.
He began cutting down an ancient oak which was sacred to
the god Thor.
Before he had completely cut through, a powerful blast of
wind struck the tree.
It fell to the ground and broke into four fragments.
The pagan audience was convinced of the power of the new
faith and was converted.
Latourette, I:348
2) Recognize evil in our society.
Steve Artaburn is a spokesman for Minrith-Meier Clinics and is heard on
national Christian radio stations. He attended Baylor University and then
went on to seminary. Since he is a "personality" he was asked to speak at the
Baylor University chapel. Instead of a safe and inspiring talk, he confessed
his personal sin. When he had attended Baylor he had gotten his girlfriend
pregnant. He saw his whole future at stake, and so paid for her to have an
abortion. He didn't think much about it in the coming years, but began to
have stress-related illnesses which he eventually attributed to guilt over the
incident.
The former girlfriend called him and told him she had heard about his chapel
talk. He stressed that he had not mentioned her by name but that wasn't her
concern. She said he was not being completely honest. He hadn't just paid
for the abortion, but had pressured her to kill the child she wanted to have.
His pressure was subtle but effective - don't expect me to be there for you if
you have this child.
God is a God of second chances, of restoration. Everything that happens has
its reason, and God has a plan for us. Steve got married in California only
to discover that he and his wife were an infertile couple. He felt abandoned
by God. Some of his Christian friends suggested that this was God's
punishment for his past sin. This angered him, but he does not see God as a
vindictive punisher.
Later, Steve told his publisher about his situation and this man mentioned
that he knew of a 16 year old Christian couple who had gotten pregnant out of
wedlock but refused to abort it. Instead they were looking for a Christian
family to adopt it. It struck Steve that this couple was far more courageous
than he had been. He and his wife received the child in a hotel room. The
baby was put in his arms first. She is now a beautiful young girl. God had
given him what he had destroyed years ago.
#4194
C. Jesus has ultimate victory. Colossians 2:15
1) Prophecy in Genesis says he will crush Satan under heel.
2) His death conquers Satan.
3) We have victory in and over life. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57;
Revelation 15:2
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Some sermon notes:
I. Halloween uncomfortable.
A. Pagan background.
1) (Druids in my family tree?? Conclusion - converted ancestor?)
2) Alternate - German missionary having lightning strike holy
tree.
B. Christians converting pagan holidays.
1) Necessary adaptation or syncretism?
2) (National Geographic and Transylvanian burial customs)
a) Bread given at funerals, pre-Christian rite.
3) : Is Halloween a Witches' Brew? Or have Christians been spooked out of
celebrating a part of their rich tradition?
The contemporary Christian often finds Halloween an uncomfortable topic.
It's a bit like walking past a graveyard and detecting among the tombstones
a thoroughly raucous party in progress -a bizarre mixture of horrible
screams and merriment - and wondering who might have called it. What is
this mishmash of innocent fun, ugly pranks, and witches' taunts? And what,
indeed, might be "holy" about All Hallow's Eve?
Most of us know the holiday's name was Christianized centuries back. But
we also realize the event must have a decidedly unsavory past, what with
ghouls, goblins, and ghosts decorating everything from K-Mart windows to
school bulletin boards. The blending of seasonal, Christian, and pagan is
remarkable.
II. Real meaning of halloween.
A. Victory over evil forces.
B. Victory over death.
C. Saints can inspire us.
1) Examples from church members.... (who influenced me)
