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HAPPY HALLOWEEN
OR IS IT?
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
I. The night of
the living dead.
A. A scary
movie.
On a
Friday the 13th
growing up .
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.
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 works, you will be shocked.
Right now you can be sure of your destiny. If You DO NOT
Know Jesus Christ as Your Personal Lord and Savior, DO NOT wait another day
to receive him. Tomorrow is NOT PROMISED TO ANYONE…… Follow your heart and
this link to accept Jesus into your life today.
http://www.asa-ministries.org/accept.html
Let Today Be Your Spiritual Birthday
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) September 11, 2001 WTC in New York, Pentagon
in Washington
And Pennsylvania Air
Tragedy.
2) (Berlin's last days,
from Kristalnacht to rape by Russians)
3)
People are capable of horrendous deeds.
4)
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.
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.
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
===============================================================
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 but can not save us.
1)
Examples from church members....
(who influenced me)
A.
My Spiritual Mother (Chaplain Gail Paul) who took
me under her wings and encouraged me to ask questions about Jesus Christ.
B.
My Pastor and Mentor Rev. Frank L. Boddie, New Beginning Ministries, (A Christian Based
Residential Drug & Alcohol Ministry) 74 Spring Street, New Britain, CT
06051,who believed in me when no one else was willing to take a chance on
me, using me in the position of Administrative Assistant as well as Sunday
School Teacher.
And the list goes on, but the
only one who could save me was Jesus Christ as I opened up and allowed Him
into my life. I know I said it earlier in this lesson, but it is important
enough to say it again, if you were to die today, do you know where you
would spend eternity?
Right now you can be sure of your destiny. If You DO NOT
Know Jesus Christ as Your Personal Lord and Savior, DO NOT wait another day
to receive him. Tomorrow is NOT PROMISED TO ANYONE…… Follow your heart and
this link to accept Jesus into your life today.
http://www.asa-ministries.org/accept.html
Let Today Be Your Spiritual Birthday
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