Doctrines Of Demons

Sermon for 10/31/2004

Doctrines of Demons

1 Timothy 4:1-5

Introduction:

Ben Alexander in a recent Lookout said that he and a friend went to a nearby town called Cassadaga in Florida. In this town Spiritualism abounds and many homes are occupied by psychic mediums. It was a Sunday afternoon and the town was crowded with visitors. We asked many of them if they attended church that morning and found that the vast majority of them were churchgoers. When we asked why they were in Cassadaga, they replied that they came in the hopes of getting a message from a dead loved one. He said, “Are we really contacting the dead? As a former spiritualist medium involved in the highest form of the occult, I can attest with all certainty that there is something on the ‘other side.’ I thank God that I was able to realize this ‘something’ was not a departed spirit, but something more sinister impersonating our dead loved ones.

WBTU:

A. There is a dark side to Halloween. Witches and séances and pentagrams and ghosts and goblins and poltergeists, etc. Things are gory and scary.

B. There is something more serious than all of this and it is the teachings of the devil that the world believes. When we think of the devil we think of a being all red with a pitch fork and a long tail that goes around scaring people. This isn’t serious at all. The real devil and his demons are serious and scary. They don’t go around frightening people but they spread their dangerous teachings and get mankind to believe them. They lead the world away from the truth.

C. In John 8:44 Jesus is speaking about the devil and he says, “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

D. Time is growing short. Read 1 Timothy 4:1-5

E. Doctrines of Demons vs. 1 a good time to talk about the doctrines of demons.

Thesis: This morning let’s talk about some of the doctrines of demons.

For instances:

1. No Hell

A. There is no such a place. We cease to exist after this or we go to the place of the dead. The Song Imagine by John Lennon.

B. Only the badest of the bad go to hell.

C. God is a God of love and he is not going to send people to hell. As long as we have some good in us, God will forgive and let us into heaven.

D. There is a place called hell. It is called the abyss, the fiery furnace, lake of burning sulfur, lake of fire. It is called the place of condemnation, darkness, eternal fire, eternal punishment, everlasting destruction, and judgment. It is called the second death.

E. Hell is forever. Hell is exclusion from God. Hell is a place of suffering. It is a place where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. Hell is separation from the righteous. It is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

F. Who will be there? The devil, his demons, wicked angels, the lawless one (the Antichrist), evildoers, and all unbelievers.

D. The Archbishop of Cantebury. Hebrews 9:27- Man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment.

I. Not many are going to hell. No, Jesus said, “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.

J. 1 John 5:12- He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

K. John 3:18- Whoever believes in him (Jesus Christ) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

L. Not a scale and God measure good deeds vs. bad deeds. All stand condemned unless come to Christ.

M. Plan of salvation. Mark 16:16- Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved, but whoever does not believe is condemned.

N. John 3:3- I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. Must have a change for Christ and by Christ. No amount of self effort will deliver us.

2. Don’t take your spiritual life seriously.

A. With salvation, a little dab will do you. Philippians 2:12- Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

B. Bitten by a poison snake. They come with a container full of antidote. Just take a teaspoon full but they want you to drink the whole thing. Oh, a little dab will do me.