Rev. David Holwick ZN
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
November 5, 1989
Luke 4:1-13
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I. Resurgence of interest in the Occult.
A. Spiritism is growing.
1) New Age and Shirley McLaine. (Spiritist church near Flanders)
B. Spill-over into culture.
1) Books are big sellers. (Satanist Bible: 600,000 copies)
2) Heavy metal rock music is filled with symbolism.
a) KISS: Knights In Service to Satan.
b) Leader Ozzy Osborne has bitten off heads of bats.
3) Halloween has become one of most popular holidays - for adults.
C. Satanic churches.
1) Prime motivation - Christian churches have no spirituality.
2) Search for power, no matter what source.
II. Supernatural or just Superstition?
A. Much is just hype.
1) Kids turn to ouija boards, satanic symbols for thrills.
2) Police say most desecrations in Morris county, NJ, are pranks.
(Detectives Darren Burns, Ed Williams, sheriff's office)
a) Religious statues have been toppled in a county cemetery.
b) Animal sacrifices have been found in a variety of places.
c) Abandoned Catholic retreat center in Washington Township.
Pentagon-shaped building, large iron caldron.
Police found satanic symbols on walls.
"666", "Evil is good," inverted crosses.
Later that building, and others, mysteriously burned.
Police suspect owner as much as kids.
B. Some is quite serious.
1) April 1989.
Burned human remains found across border in Mexico.
Identified as missing American student, and others.
Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo, 26, and his girlfriend Sara
Villareal Aldrete are accused of ritually murdering 13 men.
They taught their followers (drug runners) that they would be
protected from the police.
#806
2) The Son of Sam murders.
a) Linked to a small group of Satanists in NYC.
b) Berkowitz himself put demonic symbols in his letters
and throughout his apartment.
3) Sullivan murders. See #82
One of the most hideous satanic-motivated crimes occurred
only a few miles from here.
There was wide local coverage, and was a major part of Geraldo
Rivera's sensational documentary on Satanism.
On January 9, 1988, thirteen-year-old Tommy Sullivan killed
his mother, then committed suicide.
Tommy grew up in a devout Catholic family.
He went to Catholic schools.
For one project he studied satanism and wrote a paper.
In the paper he said it was interesting but not for him.
Within one month he changed radically.
He took a cross his mom gave him, broke it, and wore it
upside down.
He made gruesome drawings of himself burying a severed
head in the ground.
And he wrote a pact with the devil.
In the pact he promised Satan he would try to recruit others,
then take his own life.
He failed to gain any converts but he kept his vow.
Police were astonished at how brutal his mother's death was.
And in committing suicide he completely cut through his
own neck.
There was no evidence of drug use.
Police say it was sheer determination and his commitment to
the occult that empowered him.
#1039
C. The Bible says these forces are real and dangerous.
III. Satanism in the Bible, especially the Gospels.
A. A main theme of Jesus' mission is his struggle with Satan.
1) Exorcisms. Luke 4:35
a) We don't know what to do with them.
b) But they occur as often as healings. (critical period)
2) Direct teaching about Satan.
a) Jesus is tearing Satan down, not in league with him.
B. Key events in Jesus' life.
1) Temptation. (Satan leaves till opportune time) Lk 4:13
2) Through his own disciples.
a) Peter confesses Jesus, is called the Rock.
b) Then he rebukes Jesus, is called Satan. Mt 16:23
3) Last Supper.
a) Satan enters into Judas. Luke 22:3
b) He sifts Peter. Luke 22:31
4) Crucifixion.
a) Hour of Satan's reign. Luke 22:53
IV. Satan's power.
A. He controls the world (for a short time). Luke 4:5-6
B. He can control people. (possession)
1) If not control, then tempt.
2) Doubts play a large role. "if"s Luke 4:3,7,9
3) Ultimately he wants to be worshipped as God. Luke 4:7-8
C. Satan's doom.
1) Jesus has defeated him, on cross.
2) Jesus will utterly destroy him, at Second Coming.
V. Our attitude toward the supernatural.
A. Many scholars are embarrassed by it.
1) They assume Jesus was accommodating himself to the times.
2) But supernatural evil pervades the gospels.
B. Abuses have been evident.
1) Salem witch trials.
a) One of my own ancestors was convicted.
b) She recanted under Puritan preacher Cotton Mather.
C. Yet are we blind to a crucial element in life?
1) Evil is obvious in world.
a) Demonism of Nazi Germany.
b) Stalin. (Soviets admit he killed millions)
2) Our lack of faith in supernatural evil parallels our
lack of faith in supernatural good.
VI. Evil is real and personal.
A. Satan wants to trip up those who believe in Jesus.
1) Jesus and story of exorcized man. Luke 11:24
a) Cleaned out.
b) But remains empty. (not filled with God)
c) Evil returns in force, making him worse off.
2) Peter compares Satan to a prowling lion. 1 Peter 5:8
a) Scientists have researched predators of humans.
1> Interesting study on grizzly bears.
2> Ones who attack people are "garbage conditioned."
#226
b) When we let garbage into our lives, Satan has an entry.
1> A major influence, according to Detective Burns and
others, is Heavy Metal rock music.
2> Contains emphasis on satanic imagery and symbols.
A> Some parents blame this music on kid's suicides.
B> It can be an influence that goes beyond
"teen rebellion."
B. Jesus is more powerful than Satan.
1) His death on the cross broke the devil's power.
a) This was a sign of God's glorious Kingdom. Luke 11:20
2) He gives that same power to us. Luke 9:1, 10:17
a) People must see that there is real power in the gospel.
1> Power to change lives, not just do's-and-don't's.
b) But it is more important that our names are in heaven.
Luke 10:20
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I. Some people take it seriously, but is it real?
A. Factors against it.
1) The scientific viewpoint would insist there is no grounds
for any power in the occult.
2) Mentally deranged people kill in the name of Jesus as
often as in the name of Satan.
B. In support.
1) Many of these crimes are not done by insane people.
a) They truly believe what they are doing.
2) The Bible says these forces are real and dangerous.
II. Satanism in the Bible, especially the New Testament.
A. A main theme of Jesus' mission is his struggle with Satan.
1) Temptation. (Satan leaves till more opportune time) Lk 4:13
2) Exorcisms. (as often as healings) 4:35
3) Opponents. (accuse him of being in league with devil) 11:15
4) His own disciples.
a) Peter confesses Jesus, is called the Rock.
b) In next breath he rebukes Jesus, is called Satan. Mt 16:23
5) Last Supper.
a) Satan enters into Judas. Luke 22:3
b) He sifts Peter. Luke 22:31
6) Crucifixion.
a) Hour of Satan's reign. Luke 22:53
B. The methods and goal of Satan.
1) Tempter. Luke 4
a) Plants doubts with "ifs". Luke 4:3,7,9
2) Liar.
a) Uses Bible verses, but twists them. Luke 4:10
3) Seducer, possessor, and destroyer of men.
a) Tries to take Word out of hearts. Luke 8:12
b) Tries to destroy men. Luke 9:39
4) Usurper of God.
a) He seeks to be worshipped. Luke 4:7-8
C. The power of Satan.
1) He controls the world (for a short time). Luke 4:5-6
a) He has been cast down to earth.
2) He can control people.
D. The doom of Satan.
1) Jesus has defeated him.
2) Jesus will utterly destroy him.
III. Our attitude toward the supernatural.
A. Many scholars are embarrassed by it.
1) They assume Jesus was accommodating himself to the times.
2) But supernatural evil pervades the gospels.
B. Churches ignore it.
1) Most "Bible-believing" churches have nothing to do with it.
a) Abuses have been evident.
b) Salem witch trials.
1> One of my own ancestors was convicted.
2> She recanted under Puritan preacher Cotton Mather.
2) Yet are we blind to an important element in life?
a) Our lack of faith in supernatural evil parallels our
lack of faith in supernatural good.
C. Even world is more open to forces of evil.
1) Demonism of Nazi Germany.
a) Stalin.
b) Mao and hero worship.
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