Sanctifying the Secular
Acts 17:15-34 (ESV)
My emails filled up this week from my pastor’s newsletters about Halloween. I get the same emails about the Christmas tree and the Easter bunny. About half of them warned pastors about allowing their churches to do anything around the Halloween celebration. The other half suggest to pastors to use the secular celebration of All Hallows Eve or Fall Festival as a mission and evangelism opportunity.
We have been told that "Halloween is a night of darkness. It’s a night of evil. It’s a night the Devil claims as his own. It’s called "The Festival of the Dead,". Occultists honor this night. Satanists worship on this night. Christians hate this night, for it dishonors God and pays tribute to Satan."
On the other hand, have you ever considered Halloween to be one of the greatest nights for evangelism? Pastor K. R. Mele, the children’s pastor at State College Assembly of God in State College, Pennsylvania, believes this to be true. Mele points out, "What other night do we have people knocking on our doors looking to receive something special?"
Rather than hiding from the evil that surrounds Halloween, Mele believes that Christians should use this night to meet neighbors and show them a glimpse of God’s love and goodness.
Let’s be honest. Most Christians here would not be comfortable about going into a beer joint and witnessing to the clientele. Some of us, maybe many of us, couldn’t do that without violating our conscience. We were raised in a way as to never visit a bar, beer joint or saloon without guilt.
The scripture is clear that violating our consciences will weaken our ability to hear the Holy Spirit in our lives. Therefore, beer joint ministry may not be your calling.
For some, it may not be an issue of violating our conscience but protection of our reputation. We must be cautious, however, to never love our reputations more than we love the lost.
Most of us here would not be comfortable with going into a garden of pagan worship and idols and telling the curious there about the God they don’t know about; the only One who is real. Yet that is the same situation in which Paul found himself and he saw it as an opportunity.
Act 17:15-17 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. 16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. (Pray).Athens was considered an enlightened city, tolerant city.
From a Christian view, it was a very wicked city. It had so many religions, it was ridiculous. Most believed in a pantheistic (or impersonal) deity, not a personal creator God. Many believed in polytheism, the belief in many gods; the source of Greek and Roman mythology.
Such wickedness touched Paul’s heart, not emotionally, but spiritually. He began with the low-hanging fruit (those having a concept of the one true God), but wasn’t satisfied until he stepped up his efforts.
From the synagogue to the marketplace. Our calling, from the Church to the neighborhood. From the services to the streets. From the worship to the work.
Next, we will meet the growing influences of the city.
Act 17:18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
Epicurians, one influential group, believed in the here and now, the pursuit of pleasure. "You have only one life to live, so you must go for all the gusto."
The Stoics believed that one should accept life with strength and never be emotional about anything that happened.
The same two philosophies still stand as the enemies of God today, in a sense. The pursuit of pleasure and the pursuit of pride have always stood between man and God. Either a lost soul will be sold out to pleasure or proud of his strength to stand against it. So many people do not even want a holy God or think they don’t need a holy God to be good.
But there are always people who will hear, if not for curiosity’s sake.
Act 17:19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean." 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
Aeropagus, later named Mars Hill by the Romans, was a place of philosophy and religion. It was a place of discussion, sometimes judgment and court cases.
Act 17:22-25 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ’To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
Here was Paul, in enemy territory, and boldly testified of Jesus Christ. Notice he was courteous and knowledgeable. He obviously had studied this culture at sometime in his past. He would even quote one of their poets in his sermon.
Act 17:28-29 for "’In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, "’For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
After telling them that God was closer to them than they thought, he quotes the poet Aratus. Suffice it to say, he was ready for this.
Act 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."
Paul speaks of repentance (something deemed not necessary if you believe pleasure is the ultimate end) and the resurrection of the dead (something that pried denied, a need).
Act 17:32-34 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this." 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
Not everyone believed, but a few. However, the value of one soul verifies the Spirit’s call. One soul is enough.
So, what does that have to do with Halloween?
Halloween was undoubtedly began as a pagan holiday by those who did not know Christ. In the 8th century, some churches began to celebrate November 1st as All Saints Day, a tribute to those who have passed the word to us. The eve before that, those who opposed Christianity, but were compelled to follow it as a government mandate, adopted All Saints Eve, or Hallow Evening, to do as much wickedness before the forced restrictions of a holy day dawned.
For the reasons of its origins and the reaction of the heathen to the holy day, for centuries Christians have taught avoidance of the entire thing.
There are are few questions that haunt me (and I use that word in humor).
A. How many days did Satan create?
B. How many days does Satan claim?
C. Didn’t Jesus call him a liar? (John 8:44).
D. How many days does Satan own?
To me, to respect Halloween by avoiding it as belonging to Satan is misplaced respect.
Just as Paul walked among the idols on a hill claimed by Satan, looking for an opportunity to share Christ among images of false Gods, I am boldly, unafraid of Satan, going to share Jesus with those who come our way.
I am going to seek an opportunity to sanctify the secular. Consider this.....
What drove pagans to sacrifice loved ones? Fear of demons, the devils. They thought, "The oncoming of harsh weather must have meant the gods were mad, so let’s find a way to appease them."
Fear is the territory of devils, just as Restrictions and rules are the territory of religion. Both are driven by fear, unwarranted respect for evil, and thus, disrespect for God. However, God, in His wise sovereignty, allowed the fearful worldly to come to such foolish solutions in attempts to appease their gods to give us an opportunity to reach them with the Gospel.
Did you catch that? God is in control and longs to steer all men to the cross.
Let me say that again. God, in His wise sovereignty, allowed the fearful worldly to come to such foolish solutions to appease their God to give us an opportunity to reach them with the Gospel. God is in control and longs to steer all men to the cross. Consider this also....
What is our complaint about Christmas? That a High and Holy day for Christ has been secularized? Even Thanksgiving has become about a huge meal, an unimportant football game in Detroit, and then the Cowboy game.
What are our complaints about Easter (named after the goddess of fertility), the Easter bunny and Easter eggs (symbols of fertility to pagan people)? If I listen to some religious teachers, I would lead a campaign to kill all bunnies because they were claimed by Satan. I would probably include all chicken, because they lay those despicable eggs that are used to represent the fertility worship of pagans.
We have allowed the secularization of High and Holy days like Resurrection day. But killing rabbits and swearing off eggs is not the solution. The solution is for God’s people to look to God on those days and share His High and Holy message of salvation.
Redeem the day! Sanctify it again. But never forget, we are to sanctify every day.
Consider this, How does God view the secularization of all that was once holy, like holidays?
I suspect His heart is broken.
Think with me. Change channels. How do you think that Satan feels as he sees the day he claims the most becoming a day of princesses, cowboys and superheroes? Clowns? I suspect he is not happy.
The children who come to trunk-or-treat are not bowing to worship Satan. They are not turning from God. They are having fun asking for candy. They are practicing an American cultural tradition of collecting candy the way their parents practiced.
I know some of your parents did not let you go trick-or-treating. I understand that. The parents who do are not sacrificing their children on coals of fire, in rivers of crocodiles or by knife. They are loving their children by enjoy their happiness and celebrating a tradition.
If the Halloween celebration is moving away from Satan by emphasizing candy and costumes, not appeasing demons, let’s do what Paul did and move it further towards God. He is closer than the families of the community think.
How? Just four quick points.
1. Look for a chance.
We should really stop looking for reason for being offended and look for opportunities. Paul could have been so "put off" by the pagan idols, we would have justified him for walking out with his nose up in the air.
I am not good at being in uncomfortable situations. I am not comfortable about hearing language that I have considered crude and offensive. My natural tendency is to, not walk out, but say that punitive, sharp comeback that slaps them emotionally into my standards. I consider it a vast improvement if I find the strength to just quietly get up and walk out.
Paul didn’t do that either. He saw the souls. He saw the darkness and lit a candle. He saw the evil and then lifted righteousness to watch evil scramble.
Some of those I would have been insulted with my indignity and righteous-indignation came to know the blessed forgiveness of Jesus Christ because of Paul’s preparation and compassion.
Look for a chance. Look for a door, an opening. Share Jesus.
2. Look for the curious.
The seekers said it in sarcasm, but when they said, "let’s hear what the man has to say", it presented opportunity.
Some people do not want to hear our message. Some will. Look for those who will let you speak, for whatever their motive, and trust the Spirit of God to do His work.
3. Look for the connection.
When Paul saw this idol that had "To the Unknown God" etched in the stone, the Spirit of God lit a bulb over his head. The thought, "How can I connect with these people where they are to show them where God wants them to go?"
If you seek, God will show you the same opportunities in our culture. Those opportunities abound when we listen to the Spirit of God instead of our offend-abilities.
That is what we do in Trunk-or-Treat. We have no place for the devil here. He hates this. He hates that we will be witnessing to those who will listen. He hates us sharing God’s love to those who are hardened. Satan hates that God’s people are engaging the culture with the saving blood of Jesus Christ on the day he has attempted to claim.
God has a way of taking the secular and making it special to His Kingdom. The secular is sanctified when Jesus is shared with a lost and dying world.
4. Lead to the Cross.
Paul told them, "...he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."
I was told many years ago that to preach, start in a passage in the Bible and head to the cross. That is exactly what Paul did, he went to the cross. That is why we do trunk-or-Treat, to take people to the cross of Jesus.
It is the cross, the blood of Jesus, that forgives sin. It is the resurrection of Jesus that gives people of darkness hope. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what makes Christianity so unique. That God became man, took on our sins, died for us, and defeated sin and death by the resurrection, is not what the world wants. But it is what the world needs. It sanctified me. It sanctified you. It sanctified October 31.
Romans 14:5-6 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
I am one who see that God is Lord of every day. I want to see the opportunity every day to share God’s word. I want to find the curious everyday and watch God touch their hearts with His truth. I want to find something in the culture everyday that can bridge the gap of someone’s understanding. I want to take people to the cross everyday.
I heard a story this week. Many years ago, D. L. Moody was going to speak at a church. A nine year old boy heard about the engagement and went to hear Moody. He got there early and went in the Church. A man escorted him immediately out.
"This is for adults. Besides, you are not properly dressed and you are dirty," he was told.
The boy went to the curb in front of the church began crying. A man came up to him and asked him what his problem was. He told the man who immediately escorted the boy to the front of the church, sat him on the front row, and then proceeded to take his seat on the podium.
That man was D. L. Moody.
(Poem) Loving A Child On Halloween
A little monster ran my door bell
"Can I have some candy please?"
Male or female I could tell.
not much higher than my knees.
Reaching into my candy bowl,
I grab some candy for the child.
Four or five pieces, I don’t know.
The little one giggled, free and wild.
I dropped them into a pumpkin pail.
A "thank you" broke the quiet night.
"Your welcome," I said, and without fail.
Added "Jesus loves you" to the little fright.
"Here is a tract you can have someone read."
"Oh, thank you again," came the child’s voice.
"Maybe mom or dad will do the deed,
read you the story inside," I hoped for that choice.
Later after many enjoyed my treating
my doorbell rang, patience were tried.
A young mother with tears I found myself greeting.
A little monster standing by her side.
Holding the tract I had given the child.
She look to me with hope in her eyes.
I said, "Come on in and visit a while."
The two stepped right in to my surprise.
That night, I saw the mother pray,
For Jesus to love her, clean her heart.
God took her sins and washed them away.
He loved her and gave her a brand new start.
When all in this life seems ruin and lost.
Everything in the world is dirty, defiled.
A Word from the Father is worth the cost.
And a family can be reached if we love a child.
Help us love children and families.
